Together with you
by LittleNK
Summary: Sequel to "Be with you always" Join Hikaru and her friends's journey through the Hokuto Cup. THE EPILOGUE HAS BEEN ADDED!
1. Proloque

Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go

Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go. Some quotations belong to onemanga/dot/com.

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

* * *

**Together with you**

**Prologue**

June 2001,

" So this is it," Said Waya Yoshitaka while looking up to a signboard, " Is it just me or this place looks suspicious?" The building somehow reminded him of the building he saw in the movie he watched last night. _A base of a secret underground slave trading organization, they're gonna capture us, lock us up and sell us in an auction. _" I can't even read the board." he remarked dryly.

" I believe it's written in Korean, Waya." Isumi Shinichirou replied in his calm nature.

"Great, an international secret underground slave market." The boy muttered sarcastically.

" Com'on guys, Let's go!" Shindou Hikaru, the sole female in the group, urged.

_Why am I here again?_ Waya asked himself in silence.

" Kawai-san guarantees that they have many good players here." The blonde supplied, trying to be persuasive.

That guy was the_** exact**_ reason why the three of them were here, standing in front of this unfamiliar building in the middle of nowhere, a neighborhood he had never heard of.

It had been two months since his crush had suddenly vanished from the Go world. Then, without any explanation, she had returned to them with fiercer determination and stronger than ever. He had no idea what the hell had been going on, why she had skipped her match, what she had been doing during that time, what had made her come back again. He didn't know and thought he would never discover the whole truth. All he knew was that Touya Akira had been able to bring her back. And as much as he hated it, it seemed that he owed it to the 3-Dans. Seeing that the arrogant son of the Meijin seemed to genuinely care about the girl, Waya didn't hate him anymore. Yet, Akira's presence still annoyed him to no end.

After her return, Hikaru had had no problem in getting her rank raise up. She was a 2-Dans now, so was he. She even found herself a favorite Go Salon: the Dougenzaka, where Waya and Isumi had gone last week. She had introduced them to the kind Kawai, her personal taxi driver who drove her everywhere without charging her a single Yen. However, from Waya's perspective, Kawai was _**far**_ fromkind. It was undeniable that he was good and very fond of the young girl, but he wasn't kind, at least not toward him. The said man was more like an overprotective grandfather, the kind that would often be seen in movies, the kind that would shot a guy with his rifle just because he had dared to steal a single glance at his granddaughter.

Waya looked at another member of his little gang. After spending nearly 3 months in China, Isumi had finally returned to Japan and joined the Nine Star Club again. As the Pro exam would begin next month, Waya had suggested that they should follow their so-called tradition. The older boy had agreed. They had visited many Go salons in Tokyo, challenging their best players with the condition that they wouldn't have to pay if they won. In return, they had promised to clean every single stone for them if they lost. When Hikaru had heard about it, she had jumped in to join them. They hadn't lost so far, not when there were two 2-Dans and an ex-first ranked insei in their team. Last week, they had gone to the Dougenzaka, after beating three of Hikaru's fans, she had asked if anyone had known where to find strong players. Unsurprisingly, it had been Kawai who had raised his hand up high, boasting that he knew _**every **_Go salon in Tokyo.

" Call it…..Professionalism." He had declared proudly, adjusting his cap.

" I'm thirsty," a little voice interrupted his thought, it was Hikaru, " You guys go ahead, I'm going to buy a can of Pepsi." She informed them before running toward a convenient store next to the building. Waya felt a soft pat on his shoulder. He turned around to see Isumi giving him his famous smile. Seeing it, he sighed and reluctantly entered the building.

* * *

Words Count: 713

**AN:** I'm back! I finally return. Sorry that I disappear for…what…like… 2 years? It's not that I didn't want to write this fic, life just got in the way, I hope you guys understand :) I know, it's very short, don't worry, the next chapter is longer! If you have read my fic before, you'll know that I post fics that I have completed it only. So, yes, this fic is completed. You don't have to worry that I will abandon it. I'll update it every Friday. If the fic isn't update, blame it on my ISP :P

**Original-this AU:** In the original Manga, after failing the Pro exam, Isumi went to China around May 2001 and came back in July 2001 in time of the Pro Exam Preliminary. In this AU, he went there when Hikaru got her Go Pro certificate around Mar 2001 (if you don't remember, read "Be with you, always" again :) and came back around May 2001.

**Special Thanks: My dear friend and my hard-working beta Noémie!**

**For registered reviewer: **I will send you a Review Reply through FFN, you can check it up in your inbox :)

**For anonymous reviewer:** I will reply in next chapter :)


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go. Some quotations belong to onemanga/dot/com.

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

/ BlahBlahBlah/ Sound effect

* * *

**Chapter 1: New Beginning**

September 2001, Go Weekly Office

"I believe that...everyone has…his own pace." His tie loosen, his top button undone, Amano mumbled quietly while writing a draft of his article, quoting Shinoda's statement. Because the deadline was coming, every journalist was engrossed with their supposed-to-be finished columns. They heard nothing but their own voices as they shut themselves from the rest of the world. They said nothing and heard nothing until a voice rose up, breaking the long silence.

"Hey, how do you pronounce this boy's name?" A young reporter named Arai blurted out the question. In his hands was a Korean magazine. He brought it close to his face and read a name out loud hesitantly, " Ho? Ho-Suyong?"

"No, it's Hong, Hong-Suyong." His friend corrected him.

"Who is he? I've never heard of him before." Amano asked without leaving his eyes from his work, his right hand was scribing down the draft non-stop.

"A new Korean pro," Arai answered, "Guess what? He is only fourteen."

"Isn't he the one who beat Kim Kan-In?" Someone pointed out. Everyone looked up, leaving their articles behind.

"Really?"

"Kim Kan-In? A 9-Dans?"

"Fourteen, huh? Not bad, not bad at all."

Before Amano realized what was going on, all of his colleagues had stopped working and joined this small talk. He wasn't sure if it was because they were really interested in the young Korean pro or if they just wanted to escape from the truth that they still had a job to do.

"Don't forget Ko-Yongha. He's sixteen but he challenges for a title already!"

"What a shame. Korea and China are getting stronger but us, Japan, our Go players are getting weaker everyday."

Leaning back on his chair, Amano rubbed his chin thoughtfully and muttered, "Hmm, I wonder if they are going to join the tournament…" he said to himself, he didn't really mean for anyone to hear it. However, for an unknown reason his words always found a way to reach everybody no matter what. For that, along with his serene manners, people would call him "Shinoda-Sensei of Go Weekly".

"Tournament?" Arai raised his eyebrow, "Which one, Amano-san?"

" It's just a rumor I heard," the senior reporter replied, " There will be a tournament between three countries; Japan, China and Korea. Each country selects three young pros aged under eighteen to be their representatives to compete with the two other teams."

"Wow! It sounds fun!"

"Sure, it does!" The tense atmosphere faded, letting place for a refreshing enthusiasm instead.

"Three young pros, huh? Who will be our representatives then?" Kikuta, a photographer, wondered.

…….

…….

There was a short silence then they looked at each other. Amano saw them slowly curve their lips into a wild grin,**" Touya Akira!"** They shouted at the very same moment.

"If it is Touya-kun, we will win for sure." A columnist, who he had already forgotten that he even worked there, declared firmly with confidence. There was a disagreement though.

"But Korea is very strong, so is China." Somebody argued.

"But we're talking about _**Touya Akira**_ here!" the unknown guy countered, "Of course, we will win!"

"Nevertheless, he alone can't win the tournament." Sato, one of his closest friends reasoned shrewdly. It was an observation he expected to hear from someone who worked as a journalist for nearly four decades. Sato always saw what most of people overlooked. "He needs two reliable, strong teammates."

Once again, they looked at each other, smiling happily before crying out a name, **"Shindou Hikaru!" **

"Who will be a better candidate than Hikaru-chan?" Arai laughed.

"Yeah! Who can beat us, Japanese team has the Prince and the Princess of Go!"

"The Prince and the Princess of the Go World? Good one! I like it! I'm gonna use it in my article!"

"Hey! That's stealing!"

"Who will be the third one then? Ochi-kun?" Kikuta suggested.

"Well, he's pretty good but is he good enough to join an international match?" Sato, who knew not to jump into conclusions, still doubted the short boy's skills.

"How old is he? Fourteen, right? The same age as Hong-Suyong."

"Those guys at Kansai Go Association boast that they have a very talented pro this year and he's only fifteen."

"Ha! They always say that…."

"But….."

"I think that…."

"No….."

Amano smiled as he watched his friends discussing animatedly, "Exciting, isn't it?" he uttered in quiet voice. Yet, somehow, it had been loud and clear enough to draw their attention. "It makes my heart thumping with excitement whenever I think about the future." He spoke while gazing into space as if he could see something that nobody could see, as if he was looking into the future that had yet to come. "We have Touya-kun, Hikaru-chan, Ochi-kun and Waya-kun too. They are all trying their best…even Isumi-kun…The new wave has finally arrived… After all these years…"

" That's right!" Arai shouted eagerly, "The new generation has come! This is the power of the youth!"

" Yeah! The new age leaded by Touya Akira and Shindou Hikaru!"

"We will be the strongest again! Japan will be the center of the Go world!"

"Weekly Go's sales will be up for sure if that happens." Kikuta joked.

"Haha!"

"Well, it's a far future. Now finish your columns." Amano reminded them, ruining the mood. Everybody shut their mouth immediately and returned to their work.

It had been 4 months since Touya Kouyo had announced his retirement. The news literally shook the Go world. Although pros didn't understand the reason behind his rushed actions, they respected and accepted the Meijin's decision without asking any further questions. To amateurs, it was a different matter though. The declaration had provoked a shocking reaction among them since it has been accepted that Touya Kouyo was one of the world's greatest Go player. He was Japan's pride, their pride. The man held five titles, for heaven's sake! _**He**_! Giving up playing Go?! It made no sense! Plus, it was not good for their country.

"The end has come, it's all over." They had said.

Oh, how wrong they were.

After his retirement, the world still spun around; people moved on. Touya Akira was promoted to a 3-Dans while Shindou Hikaru and Waya Yoshitaka made it to a 2-Dans. Isumi Shinichirou passed the Pro exam at last, together with Kadowaki Tatsuhiko and Honda Toshinori. Go players endlessly kept on walking down the same long road that Go players in an ancient time had traveled down before, searching for the same goal, the Hand of God.

_No, it's not the end, it just a new beginning_. Thought Amano.

* * *

At the same time, near Japanese Go Association,

"So Isumi-san passed the Pro exam, with no loss too? That's cool!" Hikaru said, impressed by the young man's success.

"It is." Waya nodded, agreeing with his kuhai. Both pros had run into each other at the subway station, so they decided to walk to the Association together. "He even beat Kadowaki." He stated proudly as if he was the one who won that game.

"Kadowaki… Kadowaki," the blonde echoed, giving herself a massage on the temple as if to arrange her memory, "Is it the same Kadowaki guy that you talked about last year?"

"That's right, The Student Meijin, Honinbo and Juuketsu." He replied instructively.

"Three titles?" the girl exclaimed with surprise, "And Isumi-san managed to beat him? That's great!"

"He called me last night, he said 'Please give me your guidance, Waya –_**Sempai**_,'" Waya laughed blissfully, "Wait till Mashiba hears this! Can you imagine how sour he will be? To know that his rival passed the exam as the first seat with clean records!"

"Very sour, I'm telling you!" the Princess of the Go World grinned evilly. She looked more like a cheeky witch than a sweet princess that people believed she was, "Serves him right."

Waya noticed that they had nearly reached the Association so he asked, "By the way, who is your opponent today?"

"Shinohara-3-Dans," She replied with a dejected sigh, "I wonder when I'll get a chance to play Higher-Dans…"

"You played Gokiso-7-Dans," He noted with a frown, puzzled by her words. "Right before we got promoted to 2-Dans." He marked. He even remembered her telling him that it was an easy game.

"That doesn't count." Hikaru spoke with an unusual steely tone of voice. He could tell that she was angry with the old pro. "I don't even count him as a Go player." Hatred was clearly shown in her words.

"We'd better hurry, Shindou-san, if not we're going to be late." He advised, trying to change the topic to lighten her mood. He didn't want her to get mad, that was Touya Akira's thing to do, "Let's go."

* * *

Later, Go Association, in the game room

/Beep/

_Finally, lunch break._ Closing his eyes, Waya let out a sigh of relief and lazily rose from his seat. Since Hikaru's seat was next to his, he caught a sight of her standing up. He took his chance to invite her, "Shindou-san, would you like join me at lunch? I've been craving for Ton-Katsu."

Hikaru considered it for a moment before coming to a decision, "Thanks, Waya-kun, I think, I'll have lunch at the restaurant at the corner."

"Oh, Okay, See you later then."

"See you." With that, the younger pro waved her hand and left the room leaving him behind.

Then he heard someone whispering. It was from a man sitting opposite Hikaru's seat. Waya concluded that he couldn't be no other than Shinohara.

"Impossible, only fifteen….only fifteen….just a girl….so young," the 3-Dans muttered over and over again, a drop of sweat rolled down from his forehead, "The strongest 2-Dan ever."

* * *

During lunch break, in the lunch room

_Shindou-san……_ Waya was deep in his thought as the game between the blonde and Shinohara still stuck in his head. _That move seems reckless at first but it is well planned…the timing is perfect._

"Oh, it's time!" A woman who sat on the same table told her friend. She was correct though, the match would begin in any minute. He hurriedly got up and headed toward the game room. When he got near the entrance he heard two pro talking about a new tournament.

"A Youth Tournament?"

"Yap, A tournament between Japan, China and Korea, for young pros under eighteen, that's what I heard."

_!! Pro under eighteen? Japan-China-Korea?! Really?!_ He quickened his pace, trying to keep up with them. He felt as if he was a psycho stalker.

"How will they choose the members then?"

"Hmm, maybe they'll get those kids to play in a selection round first, I don't know."

The minute the word came out from that man, Waya halted immediately. _A selection round? _

"What's wrong, Waya-kun?" With haste, he turned around to see a familiar face. "Shindou-san, what is that?" he asked curiously, noticing that the girl was holding something.

"Oh, this?" Hikaru showed him a white Ogi fan. The resemblance to Morishita's fan was obvious, yet, he didn't believe that she bought it just because she wanted to imitate their loud-mouthed Sensei, "I bought it from the store on the first floor." She clarified while gazing at the elegant object as if it wasn't just a fan, as if it held a significant meaning. It made him wonder if he would ever find out her secret, "Let's go, Waya-kun, I'm gonna finish Shinohara off!" She declared decisively.

It was in that moment that, for the first time in his life, Waya saw Shindou Hikaru as a Go player rather than a girl.

* * *

Word count: 1,960

**AN:** See? I keep my promise; this chapter is longer than the prologue! Hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to comment me. Every review encourage authors like us work harder (and faster) :D

"**Hikaru-chan, Shindou-san or Shindou?" **

**- Hikaru-Chan:** Most of adults call Hikaru "Hikaru-chan". Since she isn't strict with formality so she doesn't mind them for calling her Hikaru-Chan.

**- Shindou-san:** Male characters around Hikaru's age (Waya,Isumi, Akira, Yashiro….) call "Shindou-san". However, when Akira is angry with her, he will call her **"Shindou!"** because he forgets the formality, and vice versa.

**Glossary:** Kuhai – used to call an underclassman, opposite to Sempai

Ton-Katsu – a bowl of rice with deep fried pork on it

Ogi fan – a fan like Sai's fan

**Special Thanks: My dear friend and my hard-working beta Noémie!**

* * *

**Rosebud :** Your welcome! I hope you like this one too

**Amiri :** No,no, I won't tell you now. You gotta keep reading!

**AD:** Yup, Yongha and Suyong appear in this sequel.

**prophet:** _"I really look forward to reading it."_ Here you go, new chapter as promised.

**an older reader:** Yeah, Waya finally grows up.

**LadyDragonMage:** Glad to know that you're still waiting for me :)

**kathy stgqk:** OH! I miss you! Nice to see you again!

**CeciliaP:** "_I thought you abandoned it." _I'm sorry for the long await, please forgive me (giving you a puppy look)

**vy ngo:** _"one chapter a day" policy" _Haha, then this fic will end in no time! Is that what you want? Plus, I wanna take this chance to do a research for my next fic during the break too.

**nekoally:** _"Once upon a time I actually thought you've given up on this!"_ Once upon a time? Haha, you make it sound like 100 years ago.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go. Some quotations belong to onemanga/dot/com.

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

/ BlahBlahBlah/ Sound effect

* * *

**Chapter 2: Breaking the news**

Mid December 2001, Honinbo League Tournament,

_Touya-kun is playing Ichiryuu-Sensei today_. Hikaru quietly tiptoed into the room. Although she had left her school as soon as she finished her classes, it had been too late. The game had started already. Apart from the game recorder and herself, she noticed that Akira got two other spectators. The first one was quite good-looking with a sophisticate expression on his face; he was around his mid thirties. The other one was about ten years older than him. He wore glasses and had orange hair that reminded her of Ochi_. I bet, they came to watch Touya-ku, not Ichiryuu-Sensei for sure. _She decided to take a seat next to the game recorder so that she could see a record sheet. _Hmm, Touya-kun is White?_ She observed the sheet for a brief moment. _Even if White captures Black in the upper-left corner, it will lose the territory in the middle._ She glanced up. Akira was biting his lower lip, trying to find the best way to strike. She shook her head and smiled with amusement._ Lavender? Even __**I**__ don't wear a Lavender suit!_ _Oh, Touya-kun, what am I going to do with you?_ She peered down at the sheet again, trying to analyze the pattern of the stones. _Wait! What if he attacks at the star point instead?_ Excited, she looked up again, Ichiryuu was sipping his tea idly.

/Pachi/ Akira eventually made his move.

* * *

At the same time, on a plane

"I don't know why they bother to organize it," Doi grumbled moodily during his flight back to Japan, "Korea has Ko-Yongha, Kim-Sunyong, San-Honho and Hong-Suyong. We all know how tough they are."

" Honho…Hong-Suyong." Kosemura, a new reporter, who took Amano's place after his retirement, wrote down the names on his notebook.

"All we have is Touya Akira. Speaking of him, he's probably having a game with Ichiryuu-Sensei right now," Doi spoke, checking his watch to confirm his statement, "Hmm, people talks about that Shindou girl too."

"Oh, you mean Hikaru-chan?"

"She maybe good enough to get a perfect record but she lacks experience," the trained reporter reasoned wisely, "I'm not sure if she is ready to play in an international tournament."

"Shindou?" A voice came from the backseat. Their translator got up placing both of his hands on their headrests for support, "I just remember."

"I thought that you fell asleep already." Turning around, Doi said.

"Remember what?" Kosemura questioned with interest.

"Hong-Suyong spoke to me in Japanese," the translator answered, "He asked me to say hello to Shindou Hikaru."

"Eh?" both journalists exclaimed, befuddled.

* * *

An hour later, Japanese Go Association,

_It's over._ Hikaru leisurely walked down the stair. She chose the stairs instead of taking an elevator. She needed some time to think about the game she had just witnessed. _Ichiryuu-Sensei kept pushing him…but Touya-kun wasn't afraid, he didn't back down…what an aggressive game…I…I too…want to play like that! _

Several days later, Japanese Go Association,

"Thank you for the game." Naoki-3-Dans bowed to Hikaru when he resigned.

"Thank you." She responded dutifully without any satisfaction that somebody who had just won a game should have had. The man got up and departed the room, trying to save himself from disgrace, leaving her alone_. Can't compare this game to Touya-kun's game though._ Bored, she stood up and followed her opponent outside the game room, wondering when she would get an opportunity to play against a title-holder like Ichiryuu-Sensei, the Kisei.

" Hikaru-Chan!" A short guy, whom Hikaru didn't think she had ever seen before, called out her name. He approached toward her and spoke loudly, "Can I ask you a question?"

_He must be an officer who works here. _"Sure, why not?" She shrugged.

"I'm Kosemura from Go Weekly," he introduced himself with a casual attitude, "Do you know a Korean pro named Hong-Suyong?"

Surprised that Suyong's name was mentioned by this man. It took her a few seconds before the question penetrated her thought, "_**A Pro? **_Suyong?" When she finally realized what the man had just said, she shouted excitedly, "He is a pro now?"

"So you know him?"

"Yes! I played him once!" She straightened up and gave him a playful wink, "And I won too!"

"You won?"

"Yup!" She answered with a grin, "It had been a tough game, I'm telling you." She boasted a bit as the match displayed in her mind.

"Great! It's good to hear that we have another promising young pro!" Kosemura beamed cheerfully, "Doi-san is so pessimist, saying there is no way that Japan can win. But we have both Touya-kun who defeated Ichiryuu-Sensei and you who won against Suyong-kun! The coming Japan-China-Korea Junoir Tournament will be interesting!" He babbled.

" Japan-China-Korean Junior Tournament?" Hikaru repeated with curiosity.

* * *

The following day, at Waya's apartment

"Japan-China-Korea Junior Tournament?" Isumi exclaimed, thrilled. He was playing a game with Waya while Hikaru arrived, breaking the news of the new tournament to them.

"Sounds like fun, don't you think?" she said while settling herself next to him. "It's called the Hokuto Cup, I think. It's a team tournament and each team has three members," she explained, "Kosemura-san from Go Weekly told me yesterday."

"A team tournament?" All he was able to do right now was parroting after the blonde.

"Yeah, I heard about it too," Waya backed her up, "The selection preliminary will held in April." He stated further.

"Can I join this Tournament? I mean, I haven't gotten my certificate yet, but I _**am **_a Pro too!" Isumi nearly jumped out off his seat, not bothering to hide his excitement. This junior tournament, whatever it was called, was his chance to show his true potential, to show that he was no longer the diffident man he used to be. After being a first ranked insei for-god-knows-how-many-years, he finally passed the Pro exam. He even achieved it with not a single defeat like Hikaru and Akira. He knew he wasn't Touya Akira, the son of the Meijin, the prodigy who destined to be a Go player. He was also aware that he wasn't Shindou Hikaru, the new shinning star of the Go world, new hope of Japan either. Yet, he couldn't help but be proud of himself that he was skilled enough to accomplish the same result as the said two famous pros.

That was right. He was good. He had never been weak, at least not his Go. It was his mind. He had learnt it in a hard way, through humiliation, embarrassment and shame, that it was his discouragement which came between him and the world of the pros. He had let himself to be controlled by his frustration over a loss, nerves pressure and impatience. However, he had overcome it already and had eventually mastered what Yanghai called "Emotion Control".

Yanghai, yes, he owed him a big time. The Chinese pro hadn't only let him stay with him during his trip in China, he had also been the one who had pointed out his weakness and helped him get through with it. If it hadn't been for Yanghai, he would not have passed the Pro exam.

And Leping, he owed it to the child too. While Yanghai had guided him and shown him the right path from above as if he was his mentor, Leping had been equal to him, being his training partner. When he thought about him, he felt guilty. He had used the boy as his stepping-stone. If not because he had practically smashed him, he would never have been able to pull himself together and returned to Japan with full confidence.

Now, it was time to show his true skill to the world.

" It's a _**junior**_ tournament." Waya interrupted his day-dream, "Didn't Shindou-san just tell you?"

…………

…………

Of course, Hikaru_** did**_ tell him, in some way, that detail magically didn't register in his head, "Junior," With his head hung down in defeat, he was parroting Waya instead.

"Well, maybe you and Kadowaki-san can't play in this tournament, Honda-san can." Said the younger boy, not even noticing his obvious regret.

"By the way, do you guys remember Suyong?" Hikaru spoke up, out of no-where.

"Suyong?" the topic was suddenly changed, his disappointment was forgotten, "Oh, Yes, I remember him, isn't he the Korean boy we met at the Korean Go Salon?"

" Yap, he's pro now," she nodded in affirmation, " He even won against a-9-Dans." She grinned happily; one would have thought that she was the one who beat the 9-Dans herself.

"A-9-Dans?" Waya repeated with surprise. "He played with a 9-Dans already?"

" They have less players than us," the teenage girl commented matter-of-factly, "And their system is different too."

"Korean pros are strong." Isumi gave his opinion, "Look at Ko-Yongha, he's only sixteen but he's one of the top pros already. China has good players too," he placed his stone before continuing his speech, " But we have Touya Akira."

"**And me!" **Speaking out loud, Hikaru chimed in. He could sense her annoyance, he was certain that Waya could too, " If I win the next match, I'll get to play with Higher-Dans! Like Suyong and…." She took a deep breath in and declared firmly, " I don't plan to chase Touya-kun from behind forever."

Isumi held his gaze at her. Shocked by her resolute determination, he blinked a few time. _Since when does she have that look?_ He asked himself wordlessly while he noticed something different about her. _Shindou-san is always driven, but …Where does it come from?_

" **And me!"** Waya said in a hard tone.

Isumi averted his gaze to another direction. It was clear. It was written all over his face. Waya too, had the same expression. It made him wondering what made them change. Was it because they had entered the Pro world? Was it because they saw things more than he did?

"Compared to Shindou-san, I make a slow progress here," Waya said with a hint of bitterness in his voice, "But Morishita-Sensei said that I can be stronger!" His eyes were intense, Isumi saw him clenching his fists tight.

"Waya," he uttered.

"Waya-kun," Hikaru whispered.

"I'll win in the selection round and become one of the members!" Waya promised to himself.

Isumi glanced back and forth between the two of them. _They've grown up_. He smiled at the idea. _They've grown up already._ It felt like yesterday when he first met them. Should he feel relief or should he feel lonely? He doubted_. This must be the way parents feel when they see their children get married. _He chuckled softly, " Do your best then, Waya." He encouraged.

"Isumi-san," Waya gave him his puppy eyes, clearly touched by his support.

" I told you before, didn't I? Leping, the boy I met at Chinese Go Association looked exactly like you," he went over the story again, "It'll be fun to watch you two play!" he joked.

" Isumi-san! I'm trying to be serious here!" Waya whined in a childish manner.

_Grown up, Eh?_ Isumi shook his head, laughing at the boy. _Maybe not. _

* * *

**Word count:** 1,893

**AN:** When I re-read "Be with you always", I found out that I have never mentioned about these supporting characters ( ex: Waya, Isumi, Honda, Ochi, Kawadoki…etc.). I felt a bit guilty so I decided to make it up to them. This chapter we have Isumi, the big brother, hope you enjoy it!

**Special Thanks: My dear friend and my hard-working beta Noémie!**

* * *

**Hikaru Kotobashi :** _"Stalking"_ OMG, I got myself a stalker! Haha, Glad to see you again!

**vy ngo:** _" are you going to write a sequel of this fic"_ Sorry, this is the last part of this serie. The research is for another fic.

**kathy stgqvk:** My, my , you asked so many question but I can't tell you that , can I? You gotta keep reading and find out yourself :D

**an old reader: **_"This fic is great for people already very familiar with the Hikaru no Go world" _You're right. Actually, I'm a bit worried about this , you know. I'm concerned that those who aren't familiar with HNG can't see the difference between this fic and the orignal. In that case, it'll be like I repeat the whole story.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go.

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

/ BlahBlahBlah/ Sound effect

* * *

**Chapter 3: Life at the Meijin's Go salon**

Ichikawa had known Akira for a long time, back from the day he had learnt how to hold a stone. She had watched him grow up, from a toddler to a boy, from a boy to a young fine man he was today. These old players at the Salon had teased her, saying that she had fallen for a boy who could have passed as her nephew. She had brushed them off, she would have never allowed their ridiculous jokes to jeopardize their platonic relationship.

To every parent, Akira would have been such a blessing. He was good-looking. He was intelligent enough to enter into one of the most prestigious junior high schools in the country. Besides, he was hard-working too, he even secured his position as the first rank student of his year. Anyone who was in his place had every right to be arrogant but he was nothing like that. On the contrary, Akira was the most polite teenager Ichikawa had ever encountered.

And his Go, his dreamlike strength was a legend. He was a genius, everyone admitted that fact. Everybody, literately, pros and amateurs, they all acknowledged his ability.

To say that Touya Akira was perfect wasn't an overstatement; he was, after all, an attractive handsome gifted rich boy. Still, Ichikawa had pitied him. Touya Akira was not perfect, not even near, at least in her eyes. He had lacked what was the most important, yet, the simplest thing.

A life.

To him, everything was for Go, every single minute in his life had been devoted for Go and Go only. When other kids had watched an anime in the evening, he had practiced Go with his father. When they had gone to a playground, he had gone to Go Association. When they had gone to see a movie with their families, he had gone to see the Meijin defending his title.

Touya Akira hadn't had a life….a real life that was full of laughter, tears, friendship and love.

The most heartbreaking thing to witness was that the boy himself hadn't even realized it, as if the life without life had been natural for him. It was not right, not at all. Ichikawa had wanted Akira to see the world, to learn that life wasn't about playing Go only, to learn that Go wasn't life.

If Akira hadn't been able to see this truth by himself, he had needed someone to show it to him.

Touya Akira had needed a friend, Ichikawa had decided

She, too, had wanted to be his friend, unfortunately, she hadn't been able to. How could have she befriended with a Go maniac when she didn't even know how to Nigiri?

Plus, it would have been better for him, if he had a friend at his age rather than someone who was old enough to be his mother's little sister. However, the hope of finding a suitable buddy at Akira's age who was not only good at Go but also understood him had been frail…._**very **_frail.

So she had silently prayed, hoping that one day Akira would have find someone to stand by him, someone whom could truly be called "a friend".

Years went by, finally, her prayer was heard and answered.

Of all people, God sent a girl.

Of all girls, God sent her.

Shindou Hikaru

Of course, she was grateful that Akira finally had a friend, if someone was capable to accomplish this impossible task (also secretly known to her as the "Swaying Akira from Go and dragging him out to the outside world Project"), that person could be no other than the persistent blonde. At first, she had questioned God's sanity though, seeing they were so different in every ways she could think of. When they had been little, Hikaru had been mistaken as a boy, while people had often confused Akira with a girl. (To be honest, she was positive that even now, at the age of fifteen, many people still took him for a girl, only they didn't voice it out loud.) Hikaru was avant-garde, Akira was conservative. Hikaru was outgoing, Akira was socially-inept. Hikaru wasn't rude but she wasn't diplomatic either, if she hated someone, she didn't make an effort to hide it. Akira, on the other hand, would smile and shake the hand of a serial killer if he was asked to. Hikaru had good taste in clothing, Akira, obviously, had not.

In spite of that, with an incomprehensible plan of God, they got along and balanced each other well. People even called them as the Prince and Princess of Go. Thanked to Go Weekly, everybody thought they were together. Although they kept denying it, no one believed them. _Well, they aren't a couple…yet._ Ichikawa smirked. _Their kids will be beautiful, Akira is gorgeous and Hikaru-chan is so adorable._ She rested her chin on her hand and gazed lazily at the girl. _She __**is**__ adorable. An ugly ducking that turned into a swan..__No..that's not right. She's never been ugly anyway, even two years ago, when she came here and we all thought she was a boy. God it's weird to see a boy we know turns out to be a girl…Like she had a transsexual surgery or something…. Wait! What the hell am I thinking?! _She shook her head to throw off the crazy thought out of her mind and went to prepared drinks for both teens. As she approached them, the said Prince and Princess were….

"Don't you 'Oh, that's right,' me! How could you _**not **_see that move!" shouted angrily Akira, "And you call yourself a Pro?"

"Ha! Look who's talking! You didn't even notice the trap I set at the bottom-left either!" Hikaru retorted with equal heat.

………..Arguing…….

"You forgot to defend me at the center too!" the 3-Dans spat furiously at his rival who often dropped by at his father's Go salon to have a game with him. Like every times, after a challenging but friendly game, there was a sophisticated post-game discussion. "Honestly, how many times did you say 'Oh, that's right,'?! 3…No! 4 times!"

the Princess snapped out at the boy's face fiercely, **" Did not!"**

**" Did too!" **Akira yelled back, his hands were on a table,

**" Did not!"**

**" Did too!"**

**" Arrz! You're so annoying!"**

**"** **I'm not! But YOU are!"**

" Here is your soda, Hikaru-chan." Ichikawa handed her a can of Pepsi, "Here is your tea, Akira-kun." she served him a porcelain cup of green tea, hoping in secret that her beverages could distract them and end the fight.

It worked like magic. Thanked God.

"Oh, did you hear about the Hokuto Cup?" Hikaru mentioned, obviously forgot about the earlier fight.

"Of course, I heard about it." Akira answered, uninterested.

"Good! This time I'm gonna _**crush**_ you!"

"I don't think that will happen since I won't play in the selection round."

"Eh?" Now the girl was confused.

"They've already offered me a seat."

"**What?!"** Shocked, she cried out.

"It's normal, Hikaru-chan, considering that Little-Sensei is a 3-Dans now." Kitajima spoke up.

"Not to mention that he plays in the Honinbo league now." Hirose supported his best friend.

"But that's not fair!"

"There's a difference between those who are in the League and those who are not." Ichikawa knew that Akira merely meant to state the truth, he didn't mean it to sound like an insult.

But it did.

**"What?! Why you..!!"** The blonde-2-Dans jumped up, knocking her chair down on the way. **" You….!"** Eyes narrowed, she growled through her clenched teeth. For once, Shindou Hikaru was loss of words, not because of surprise but anger.

"Look, Shindou-san, I…"

"I'm leaving." she cut in with an eerie calm voice, she was unexpectedly quiet, Ichikawa thought she even looked scarier, "I won't come here anymore, not until I pass the selection round and become a member of Japanese team like you." the girl walked towards the counter and retrieved her bag from her, "I'll walk slowly along this path but I won't stop." she said without turning back, "Not until I reach the Hand of God." Then she run off, Akira's gaze followed her, but he didn't say anything to stop his only friend.

* * *

January 2002,

"Happy New Year, everyone." Akira greeted as he entered his Go salon.

"Happy New Year." Ichikawa and many of regular players responded back.

"How are you today, Akira-kun?" Ichikawa asked him.

" Japanese, Chinese and Korean confuse me." He said with a weak smile. He had just started taking Chinese and Korean classes couple weeks ago, he believed it would be useful in the future so he took them.

"Hmm, it's pretty late now." Hirose, one of the players, mentioned with a scowl, "Too late, I think she won't be here then."

Slapping his hand on his forehead, the boy groaned silently. _Oh, no, here we go again. _

" Akira-kun, why don't you…," Kitajima, Hirose's best friend, was about to say something but Akira knew what it was and he didn't want to hear it again for…only God knew what time it was!

"No, Kitajima-san," he interjected, "I won't apologize." Fixing his famous threatening glare at the skinny man, he stated intensely, "I didn't do anything wrong."

"But, Little-Sensei, Hikaru-chan…" Hirose whined like a five year old.

"Will come back once she passes the selection tournament." Akira informed him, repeating Hikaru's promise.

"But that's in April!!" Kitajima exclaimed, looking at the boy as if he lost his mind.

"Then she'll be back in April." The Meijin's heir declared with a sharp tone, feeling indifferent.

Two older men exchanged glances; they let out a heavy sigh in defeat and continued playing their game.

Touya Akira was officially frustrated.

From the day Shindou Hikaru had stepped into his peaceful and simple life, nothing had been the same.

First, she had beaten him without having him knowing that it was a teaching game. Then she had insulted all Go players by saying that she wanted to win a title just for the prize money. They had had another game, she had gained another victory over him, practically destroyed him. He had been furious. Never before had his Go ever disappointed him like that time. It had taken him a while to get over his anger and his depression. He wasn't a quitter; he was Touya Akira. If he faced an obstacle, he would overcome it and got another step closer to the Hand of God. He wanted to play her again, he wanted a rematch. But she was nowhere to be found. After the said fateful day, she had never come back to his Go Salon for the second time, she just …..disappeared.

A year and a half later, suddenly, she had just stood there, in front of him at the Young Lion Tournament, greeting him casually, growing long hair and wearing a…a..skirt!! So what? Even he took her for a boy, it wasn't his fault, was it? The one who led people to misunderstanding was at fault. Still, he had made an apology for a crime he hadn't committed. Not only she hadn't accepted it, they had ended up fighting in the middle of the tournament! Akira always controlled himself and behaved well towards anyone for the reason that he had a reputation to save, a reputation of his father weighted heavily on his thin shoulders. Because of Shindou Hikaru, all was ruined.

Since then, people kept talking, gossips followed him everywhere he set foot on, rumor had it that she was his girlfriend. Akira didn't know the reason why but it seemed like all people on this planet was on her side. They didn't even know what had happened between them but they said he was the one to blame anyway. It made him even angrier, if possible. Kuwabara-Honinbo had even accused him for her loss in Beginner-Dan Series.

Apparently that Shindou Hikaru had an ability to enchant whoever she talked to. Even Akira's fans failed to resist her charm. This Go Salon, the very Go Salon that belonged to his father had always been his sanctuary. It had been his second home. Even if his parents weren't home, fine, he would stay at the Salon surrounding by trustworthy adults who adored him. After school, if he didn't feel like going home, it was okay, he would give the regular players some teaching-games. If he didn't have anything to do on weekend, he would hang out at the Salon all day. Ichikawa had joked that he spent his time here more than at his home. He had smiled in reply, saying nothing. She was correct but he didn't mind in any case. He knew all players here, they were good people and they worshipped him.

It was a history though. He wasn't their favorite any longer. It was Shindou Hikaru whom they idolized. Akira had, somehow, turned into an abusive husband whom was condemned by the rest of the world.

When he thought about the girl, her speech rang out in his mind. Hikaru had been unusually quiet, as strange as it might sound. Akira found that he liked it better when she shouted like a lunatic…very strange indeed.

"I'll walk slowly along this path but I won't stop, not until I reach the Hand of God."

He didn't want to sound like a sexist. Yet, hearing his rival saying something so profound like that was….odd …and hard to believe. Who would ever imagine that a girl who wore a yellow tank top with glittering number five on it would say something like that?

_Keep walking, Shindou-san, I'll meet you there……at the Hand of God!_

/Pachi/

Akira then hit a stone hard against an expensive Kaya board.

* * *

**Words:** 2315

**A/N :** I don't know if you can sense it, but I think my style has changed, and I'm not talking about the POV only. I don't know what caused this but I hope you like it. The pace of the story is a bit slow, as you can see we have minor changes here and there. As the fic goes by, you will see more and more changes. Therefore, please be patient :)

**Thanks to my hard working Beta, Noemie.**

* * *

**CeciliaP :** _"By the way why do you only upload once a week?"_ Haha, if I update it everyday, the fic will end in no time, is that what you really want?

**ady:** _"WHEN did Hikaru actually meet Suyong in your previous fic?" _I change the time line a bit. Hikaru just met Suyong in this sequel After she became a Pro.

**kathystgqvk** : _"but I have to wait a whole week for a new chapter." _However, it means that you will have a fic to read for a while, right?

**redfeather:** Ogata? LOL, No, Ogata doesn't like Hikaru. If he does Hikaru, this fic will turn out to be "There's something about Hikaru"! Way too much confusing for me to write :)

**an old reader:**_ "Just don't stick too close for too long."_ Well, to be honest, as I said in author note, the pace of the fic is a bit slow at first, please be patient. There will be major change in late chapter, I promise. Please don't get bored. (Giving you a puppy look) _"I love Isumi's reflection "_ I'm VERY happy to hear that! I spent 3 days thinking about Isumi! Now that you said you loved it, it's worth it :D

* * *


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

/ BlahBlahBlah/ Sound effect

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**Chapter 4 : Path of Pros**

January 2002, Tokyo

Kadowaki was on his way to the Japanese Go Association. Last week, he had won his match in Beginner Dan Series against Serizawa-9-Dans by 2 moku. Today was Isumi's turn. He acknowledged Isumi's skill but it was the old Kuwabara-Honinbo they were talking about. He really wanted to see them playing. It would be an interesting game, he was certain of it.

He should have been a Pro years ago if he hadn't been hesitated. No doubt, he was good but he hadn't been sure if he wanted to spend the rest of his life playing Go. He hadn't had an inspiration, or a goal, he had been so lost.

Then he had faced a monetary crisis. Due to his lack of money, he had decided to take the Pro exam on 2000. He had thought that he would pass with no problem. He was strong, if not, he wouldn't have gained Student Meijin, Student Honinbo and Student Juuketsu title.

He remembered what had happened two years ago very well. It was in winter. He had gone to the Japanese Go Association to sign up for the exam. An application form had been in his hand, then he had seen a girl coming out from the insei class. Since he hadn't played Go for ages, he had wondered if his skill got a bit rusty so he had challenged the girl for a game, hoping it to be a warm-up game. It was like a dream….a nightmare. Until today, he still doubted if it had simply been his imagination or if it really had happened. The game had ended in 30 minutes. Then she had departed leaving him to his stupor. He hadn't known how long he had been sitting there, staring at the board with mouth opened. After he finally had gathered his sense, he had torn the application form, called his best mate and told him that he decided to postpone his plan. His friend had been stunned and called him an idiot but he had been aware that he wasn't. He hadn't made a mistake, he _**knew**_ it. It was unbelievable how much one could learn from one game…just one.

He had learnt that he had been too thoughtless, he had taken Go _**way**_ too lightly. He had overvalued himself while underestimated others. He had also learnt that Go was indeed a mind game, age and gender didn't matter when it came to Go. He had further learnt that although he held 3 student-titles, he wasn't the only one with talent, there were others who were blessed with even greater gift. In the end, he hadn't joined the exam that year, as he had come to the decision that he had been unprepared and clearly needed more practice. He had to be better in order to win that girl next time they met. Finally, at long last, Kadowazi Tasuhiko had a goal.

Later, he had found out that the girl wasn't just an insei. He had laughed when he had seen her picture in Go Weekly. She was some kind of celebrity, Princess of Go, the press called her.

_No wonder she could thrash me like that, she even passed the exam undefeated!_

A known figure was ahead him. Even if he only saw her back, he recognized that person immediately, "Shindou-san!" he called out.

* * *

One night during January 2002, Honda's bedroom

Honda was lying on his bed, staring a ceiling that turned from white to light gray. His Sensei's remark was lingering on his mind.

"You still have a long way to go." Funamura had told him.

He suspired heavily, of course, he realized he had a long way to go. A _**very long**_ one at that. Normally, most of the Pros were defeated a few times during the Pro exam, with the exception of Touya Akira, Shindou Hikaru and Isumi Shinichiro. Unlike them, Honda had gained 6 losses. Ochi had mocked him, saying it was such a miracle that he could become a Pro with _**that **_kind ofrecord. He had tried to defend himself by telling that it had been a fierce competition. In fact, with every fiber of his body, he _**knew**_ it was true.

Then he remembered what had happened two hours ago. He sighed again, rolling on his side. He had gone to his Sensei's house to attend their study group as usual. When he had arrived, he had been surprised to see unfamiliar shoes. It had turned out that tonight they had special guests. The unexpected visitors were Yoshikawa, a pro from Kansai Association who was Funamaru's long good friend, and his students. Among them, there was a boy around his age who had just passed the exam. He bleached his hair white like a punk. He was introduced as Yashiro Kiyoharu. Then Yoshikawa had set them up a game, suggesting that it would have been interesting to watch young pros competing with each other, especially when both of them planned to join the Hokuto Cup Tournament. Honda had accepted the challenge considering it would have been a good opportunity to know his future rival.

The game had finished faster than he had ever dreamed of.

He had lost...very badly.

Those Kansai pros hurried head back to a hotel without having a post-game discussion. When Funamura had seen the Kansai pros off, he had overheard his teacher saying he was sorry that he (Honda) wasn't a worthy opponent for Yashiro. Seriously, it hurt to hear that coming from his own mentor.

Honda sighed for the third time of the night. He turned over, closed his eyes and rested the back of his hand on his forehead.

_I'm so pathetic._ He told himself dejectedly.

_What are you talking about?_ A mysterious voice questioned.

_I lost. _He replied._ Again!!_

_And?_ The voice sounded annoyingly calm to Honda's opinion.

_What do you mean "And?" _He spoke with irritation_. _He was too frustrated to notice that he was arguing with himself._ I'll never make it through the selection round! Shindou-san, Ochi and Waya! They are better than me! Even I do pass it, I have to play that Kansai boy again! I'll lose for sure!_

_Look at you! Don't you have self-respect? You just give up like this?_ His inner voice demanded angrily.

_I do have self-respect. _He countered back, trying to sound convincingly._ I happen to know myself, my ability and my opponent very well too!_

_No, you don't. You're a coward! And a quitter too!_

_What? I am not! _He yelled back in silent. _How dare you!_

_Yes! You are!_ The voice insisted heatedly. _Do you know how many people want to be you? Did you forget what Nase told you? Iijima quit the insei class already! Do you have any idea what he was willing to sacrifice just to be a Pro like you?_

………… Suddenly, he lost for words, cat caught his tongue.

The voice of reason kept on. _Do you want to be like Isumi? Not this Isumi who defeated Honinbo by 6.5 moku but the Isumi who lost to Fuku!_

……………

_Now stop moping around! You're a Pro! Start acting like one!_

…………_.._

…………_._

…………_._

_A Pro…. Yeah, that's what I am._

With that, Honda got up and recreated the game he had played with Yashiro.

* * *

Next morning, Japanese Go Association, Selection round (Tokyo)

Honda was about to have a match. If he won, he would become one of Tokyo representatives to play in the Hokuto Cup's selection round. If he passed it again, he would be an official member of Japanese Team to play with Chinese and Korean Team.

Nevertheless, he had to beat this opponent first, Shindou Hikaru.

They took their seats and Nigiri. He got Black. To his utter surprise, he wasn't frightened of her, although she was known as the best 2-Dans. Yes, he was nervous, yes, he was excited but he wasn't afraid to confront this unbeatable blonde.

_That's right. I'm a Pro. The path of Pro is endless. Go is a life-long learning experience. _

Then he played his first hand, at the Tengen-spot.

* * *

**Words Count:** 1,386

**AN:** This chapter is shorter than I planned. Well, you gotta admit that Kadowaki and Honda are hard to write about since we don't know much about them. Still, I wanna mention them a bit. So here it is. Oh, and don't worry, apart from the prologue, this is the shortest chapter in this fic, others are longer, I promise!

**Funamura –Sensei:** He is Honda's Sensei, I have checked in the Manga, I didn't make this up :)

**Special Thanks: My dear friend and my hard-working beta Noémie!**

* * *

**KatSakura:** "_hope you update soon"_ Here, here, I give you a new chapter. A bit short but i hope you like it too :)

**Xiar:** _"Finally decided to R&R"_ LoL, Finally ! Nice to see your review again!

**kathy stgqvk:** _"kiyomaru"_ Close enough, it's "Koyoharu." :)

**an old reader :** _"You bring the fourth, if not the fifth, dimension"_ Haha, I feel like we're in space!

**Zax:** abuse_"plese keep writing this i love it"_ I've already finished this fic but I'll keep writing a fic :)


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go. Some quotations belong to onemanga/dot/com

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

/ BlahBlahBlah/ Sound effect

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**Chapter 5:****The other side of Go**

February 2002, Japanese Go Association,

Leaning against a wall, Hikaru sipped her canned coffee. Normally, she would drink coca-cola or fruit juice. She hated coffee, it was Akira's favorite drink, not hers. Today was special though. She gulped down her black coffee, hoping its bitterness would soothe her anxiety away. She was going to fight her own Sensei, Morishita Shigeo-9-Dans.

_Breathe, Hikaru, in and out…in and out_. She instructed herself with her eyes closed. _Sure, he's tough but you know his style. All you have to do now is stay cool…concentrate. You gotta win, if you wanna enter the Honinbo league…Speaking of it, Touya-kun has a game with that creepy Ogata today too, doesn't he?_

_!!_

Her eyes snapped open as a thought hit her. _What the hell? Listen, Touya-kun, I'm about to play a 9-Dans here! Could you just get out of my mind?_ She said angrily to herself.

"Hikaru-chan." She turned around, recognizing the voice. Saeki was walking towards her.

"Saeki-san." she greeted him with a nod.

"You're early today." Amusement was shown in his face.

She smiled at his remark. It was understandable why he was surprised. After all, Shindou Hikaru wasn't known as a morning person; that was Touya Akira.

Her beam faded immediately. _Damn you! Stupid Touya! Stop popping up in my head!_

As if the boy heard her, he refused to comply:

"This is the difference between those who are in the League and those who aren't," he had told her.

_How dare him! Arrogant Touya! I swear, one day I'm gonna……_

While she was having an internal monologue (cursing Akira), Saeki spoke up, "So, you start playing on Thursday with Higher-Dans now, am I correct? Both of us have to do our best then."

She put her anger aside, sidetracked by his words, "You have a match with Hagiwara-9-Dans, right?"

"Yes," the older man nodded in confirmation, "He competed in Honinbo League once." He told her with a solemn look on his face.

"Just like Morishita-Sensei," she pointed out, giving him an equal serious expression in return.

"Sensei entered Meijin League too," Saeki added proudly, "He even challenged for the title twice. He's out of the League for a while but he's playing so well lately," he indicated, "The press even calls it 'Morishita's Return'."

/Ting/ An elevator reached the floor. The doors opened. The man who was walking out of it was no other than Morishita Shigeo.

"Good morning, Sensei." Saeki and Hikaru greeted the 9-Dans.

"Good morning." Morishita said, looking at them from the corner of his eye. His voice was flat, showing no emotion. He didn't call her "Hikaru-chan" or ruffle her head like he always did. He quickly walked away, giving them the view of his back as he left.

"Let's go." Saeki urged.

Watching her teacher heading to the game room, she asked, "Have you ever played him?" To her surprise, she found that her tone of voice was as cold as their Sensei.

"No," her upperclassman replied quietly. "This game will be a tough one."

She felt her natural cheekiness vanished as an unusual seriousness took over her. Today, Morishita Shigeo was no longer her teacher, but her opponent.

" I know this day would come one day… but when it actually comes…" she whispered inaudibly.

* * *

" I'm not sure if it's too early or too late." Ogata Seiji told himself, putting his cigarette in a trash bin. He strolled lazily to a private game room. He would face the Meijin's son in the Honinbo League in any minute. He had known Akira all the boy's life. He played with him countless time. But this was the first time he would play him in an official game. He went into the room, Akira was already there, waiting for him.

Once Akira noticed him entering the room, he said politely, "Good morning, Ogata-san."

Ogata took his seat and said back, " Good morning."

And so the game began.

* * *

Game room for the 58th Honinbo Tournament : 2nd Preliminary Round 2,

He had been battling his student for an hour and a half now.

_I have to attack her confidence. _Morishita thought while he observed the board.

/Pachi/ He made his move.

/Pachi/ Hikaru played her next hand, fighting him boldly.

_Good decision and so fast. I have played this girl many times in the study group but her potential is unfathomable._ He looked up from the game and held a steady gaze at her pretty face with fixed attention. _Especially in the last 6 months, her Go has changed a lot…Compared to before she started skipping games, her attitude toward Go has completely changed._

/Pachi/ He countered her attack.

* * *

2 hours later, Japanese Go Association, 5th floor , a private living room.

Morishita sat alone, taking a sip of his tea. Unlike the main living room, which was full with Lower-Dans, there were few people in this room since it was exclusively reserved for Higher-Dans. Other Higher-Dans were talking about their matches; he didn't join them, just enjoyed his tea. Nevertheless, without realizing it, he suddenly found himself to be the center of attention.

"By the way, Morishita-san, isn't your opponent Shindou-2-Dans?" Kurozaki, his fellow 9-Dans questioned. "She's in your study group, isn't she?"

"Yes, for 2 years now. I'm familiar with her Go." he responded, "I didn't want to admit it, but she's the strongest of my students. In terms of strength, she even defeats me." he confessed honestly.

" What?! She's just a 2-Dans!" another pro exclaimed.

" Still, she only faced me in study group." he continued in a firm tone. " She doesn't know the real me. And for that, I'll win." he declared with pure confidence. He got to his feet and went to the game room.

" …doesn't know the real me…" He heard someone saying behind him.

* * *

The break was over. Players were seated at their boards.

_My previous hand was pretty effective. Sensei is in trouble now. _Hikaru smirked with satisfaction. _The flow of the game is mine. Now, I gotta gain more territories. _

* * *

Ogata watched Akira sitting down..._doesn't know the real me. _His eyes narrowed dangerously_…The real me…_

* * *

/Beep/ The alarm rang and the game continued.

/Pachi/

/Pachi/

/Pachi/

Hikaru gaped at Morishita's move. _What? Damn it! How could I miss this?_ She gritted her teeth in irritation, angry at herself. _I must defense here._

/Pachi/ she placed her Black stone.

_Concentrate! Hikaru!_

/Pachi/

/Pachi/

_This feeling..._She told herself to stay calm but no avail._ I can barely breathe._ For the first time, Shindou Hikaru was scared.

/Pachi/

/Pachi/

_Can't…Can't let the stone go…_

/Pachi/

_No! It can't go on like this! Don't be intimated! _

/Pachi/

She almost forgot to breathe when she saw Morishita playing his hand. _H..How? No! I should have defended in the middle!_

* * *

/ Pachi/

Ogata laid down his White stone, destroying Akira's territory. He stared coldly at the boy. He had never seen Akira looking like this before, but then again, this was the first time they faced each other in a real match. Akira was clearly frightened as he struggled to fight him back…hopelessly.

The game was his, he knew it.

* * *

" I fight the best I can but….." Hikaru muttered through her clenched teeth, her head hung down, " My stone are completely cut out." she gripped her fan tightly, closed her eyes and heaved a deep sigh in defeat. " I resign."

"……………." Morishita didn't say anything in reply.

_Now I have to start it all over again. _She grumbled in disappointment, dejected.

"This hand here was careless." the older pro pointed out calmly. "It made your middle area weak."

_Losing there would have been controllable. _She shut her eyes and remained silent. _But the mistake during Chuban..._

He got up and told her. "Let's continue this discussion elsewhere."

However, instead of going to a vacant room to have a post-game discussion, Morishita leaded her to an isolated fire exit.

"You may have lost but considering that you only study with me once a week, you have grown a lot in the last 2 year. You realize that too, right?" He asked her while they were walking down the stairs.

Hikaru paused, "I thought so too. Two years ago, I was a weak player. The difference between you and me was huge. Now, when I play Sensei in the group, I am no longer behind you, at least that's what I thought." she admitted frankly. "But I can't surpass you in battle. I can't compare to Sensei when it comes to that."

Morishita stopped walking and turned back to face her." Yes, the battlefield, you cannot see the scary side of Go until you face it in the real fight. I'm usually kind when I'm in the study group but when playing against pros, I turn myself into a demon. It's hard for a 15 year old to face the likes of us." He took a look at the fan in her hand. "That fan, since when did you start carrying it around? I know it's not just to look cool. It represents some kind of determination, doesn't it? Since you hold it so tight." With that, he left without waiting for her reply.

Hikaru brought the fan close to her chest, holding it with both hand as if she was afraid it would slip away.

* * *

Ogata inhaled deeply on a cigarette. He couldn't believe he had actually said it out loud.

" You are below me." he had told Akira.

Akira maybe good at playing Go but he still needed to develop the art of reading minds. To the boy, his words were nothing more than mocking insults. But to Ogata himself, and Serizawa, whom he believed was sharp enough to discover the true meaning hidden in those harsh criticism, it was more than that.

He shouldn't have said it, he should have had a better self control. Ogata-Judan was sarcastic but he wasn't rude. He always behaved well. The time when he acted with no manners was when he felt threatened.

He had just shown his weakness.

He had just told the world that he was afraid of Touya Akira.

* * *

March 2002, Korea

Books were organized neatly on wooden shelves. Various trophies were placed in cabinets. Hong-Suyong was sitting in the middle of the room with a Go board in front of him. Across it, was the owner of the luxurious suite, Ko-Yongha, who was 2 years older than him. Both of them were Go Pros. Suyong was strong, he even managed to beat a 9-Dans. But, Yongha was stronger. At the age of 16 , he challenged for a title already.

Although there was a difference between them in both age and skill, they were still very good friends. To be honest, he was confident that he was the only friend Yongha got because no one but him could tolerate his bad-mouth.

" You're so cool, Yongha," Recreating the game between Yongha and the ex-Meijin, Suyong praised in admiration. " If it was me, I wouldn't have known how to play."

But said boy wasn't listening to him, something was bothering him. "After the game, Touya-Sensei told me…that there is another player around my age with the same strength in Japan,"

" What?! She became that strong!?" shocked, Suyong cried out at the top of his voice. _She's as good as Yongha now? How?_

"She?" Yongha echoed inquiringly. " Touya Akira is a girl?"

" Eh?" Clearly there was a misunderstanding. " Touya Akira?"

" Touya Sensei's kid." he told him. " I don't know if he really means it or he just wanna boast about his child."

_I don't think Touya-Sensei is like that._

Yongha shrugged, he didn't seem disturbed by the thought that his unknown rival might be in Japan. "We'll get the answer at the Hokuto Cup." Cocking his head to the side, he raised his eyebrow and questioned with interest, " By the way, who is 'she'?"

_Damn it! _" Err..well…." Feeling uncomfortable, Suyong shifted awkwardly. "…met..in Japan," he stammered, a pink flush spread all over his face.

" Hmm…"

Then he saw his friend smirking evilly_. God, I really hate it when he does that, he's up with something no good._

" You took Japanese class for her, didn't you."

Intelligence was one of qualities Yongha carried, and he respected him for that. But, he was a bit _**too **_sharp sometimes. To be honest, it was scary. There were times when he wished Yongha to go to hell and just die there for the sake of humanity.

This was such time.

"You have a crush on her?"

/Tad/ At the Suyong dropped the stone he had been holding.

" **What?"** Taken aback, he exclaimed noisily.**" No! What are you talking about!?" **he rejected. However, with the deep red flush on his cheeks, even he himself thought it was hard to believe.

"How do you know her anyway?" It was really annoying, the way Yongha brushed his denial aside.

Suyong looked at the older boy and sighed. _How can I say no to him when radiates such threatening aura? No wonder why everyone is intimidated by him._

" Well, you see, when I went to Japan last July……"

So Suyong told his story…………

* * *

……………Flashback Started ( 8 months ago)…………..

June 2001 , Japan

Hong Suyong was not in a good mood. He hated being here. He hated Japan. He hated Tokyo. He hated Go. He hated everything.

Most of all, he hated himself.

Suyong knew he was gifted in Go. When he had joined the Kenkyuusei class, his rank had raised up fast among the higher-class as he had won all of his games. At that time, Go had been fun.

Until one day, he had lost.

The following day, he had lost again. He hadn't known what the hell had been happening to him. Why hadn't he been able to seize a victory like he used to? He had asked himself furiously. Something had gone missing, he had sensed it, something important, but he hadn't been able to figure out what it was.

Then he had gained another defeat….. again and again

Before he had realized it, he had found himself to be demoted to the lower-class. He had never been so humiliated like this in his entire life.

He had told his parents to give up on Go. When his father had heard his announcement, he had decided that Suyong needed a break.

So, he had sent him to Tokyo to change his mood. He had sent his only son to this foreign country where the people didn't speak his language, to the city that was full of strangers, to the city where he knew no one but his uncle.

Suyong was walking out of a convenient store before someone ran into him. He intended to scold whoever dared to bump into him, he looked up sharply to find that it was a girl. A very cute one.

Giving him a small smile, she tilted her head down a bit, gesturing that she was sorry.

Then she walked away leaving him behind without saying a word.

He was surprised to see her again at his uncle's Go salon of all places. He didn't understand what she was saying, but luckily, one of the regular customers was kind enough to act as his translator. According to him, she told them how they had met then his uncle told her he was a Kenkyuusei. He could tell that she was very excited. She looked at him curiously and said something to him.

It came as a surprise when she asked him for a game.

" She wants to have a match with you because she heard that nowadays Korea is the strongest country and she wishes to face the strongest." his uncle translated her request for him.

Feeling so full of himself, he smirked in response and accepted her challenge.

Then they played.

When they reached Chuban, Suyong realized that she was not just a pretty face, she was amazingly strong. At a first glance, her hands seemed reckless and careless but they were actually quite profound and well-planed. He shouldn't have had underestimated her. Then again, he didn't expect a girl who wore an orange-yellow tank top which reminded him of an orange-lemon flavored lollipop to possess such remarkable skill.

As the match proceeded, Suyong felt something oddly familiar inside him. He wondered what it was but he cast his curiosity aside. It wasn't that he didn't want to know what it was but he was smart enough to know that even the slightest distraction could cost him a game.

In the end, he wasn't diverted but he lost anyway…by five moku.

Then, it hit him.

He had play till the game had gone to Yose, he hadn't surrendered like he had often done lately. During his depression, if he faced a hard time, he would resign with no thought of fighting back. However, because this match had been so challenging, so captivating, he had fought her with everything he had. He hadn't given up, even when he had been cornered.

He failed to gain a triumph.

But he got his fighting spirit back.

He was himself once more.

Hong Suyong was revived, thanked to Shindou Hikaru.

…………..Flashback Ended………………..

* * *

Present, March 2002, Korea

"And?"

"Well, nothing much happened." Suyong replied, shrugging his shoulders. " We discussed about the game, my uncle was our translator…But I wanted to talk, you know, really talk to her…to have a real conversation with her, to be able to talk to her by myself with no translator." Blushing lightly, he confessed. _Why am I telling him this?_

"So you studied Japanese." Yongha concluded.

" Err…yeah,"

"Hmm, sounds like she's pretty strong." he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

" Yeah! She's a pro!" Suyong nodded with enthusiasm. "A 2-Dans!"

"2-Dans?...not bad, not bad at all." Nodding his head, Yongha mumbled to himself in a low voice. "Maybe she'll play in the Hokuto Cup, you can meet her again then." he paused before continuing. " If you are selected to be in my team, of course."

" I am," Suyong replied bluntly. " The third member of Korean team is me."

* * *

**Words:** 3107

**AN:** Hello, Suyong. Hello, Yongha. Welcome to my AU.

**Glossary **: Chuban : middle of the game

Yose : the end of the game

* * *

**KatSakura :** Glad to hear that :)

**old reader:** Thanks for your suggestion,I'll change it later then. _"They seem so in-character and yet so new in your story."_ :D Thanks.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go. Some quotations belong to onemanga/dot/com.

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

* * *

**Chapter 6: The members will be…**

April 2002, Japanese Go Association, Lobby

"Waya-kun, Ochi, Inagaki-san and I, have been separated." Hikaru said as her eyes scanned the schedule in her hands.

Craning his head to get the better view of the program, Waya replied, "No surprise; I expected it."

"Our opponents are pros from Central Branch, Kansai Branch and two pros from Kansai Go Association," she read it aloud, very focused, "The four winners will play in the second round in the afternoon," she explained the rule**s** to him, " Two winners from each match will get in the team."

"They couldn't do an all-play-all tournament, I guess." Waya commented, "It's better this way," he grinned cheerfully, "We can have lunch together with no problem**s**."

At that, he got a sweet beam from Hikaru.

When they entered the elevator, Waya stole a quick glance at his friend. _Thank God that I don't have to play with Shindou-san. I'm so relieved. _He looked up, gazed at the metallic ceiling, completely lost in his thoughts. _When we play at my apartment or in Morishita-Sensei's class, there are times when I can't keep up with her ability to read the board. Because I'm always near her, I'm forced to experience the__ difference in strength. _

_What did Sensei say back then?_ He pondered bitterly.

"Stop thinking that others are better!" Morishita had scolded him once.

He let out a tired breath. _It's not like I want to feel this way._

* * *

Hikaru peeked at her red haired friend when they went out of the elevator. Annoyed, she scowled and shook her head lightly. She had noticed that Waya had been acting weird lately. He had been quiet, especially when they discussed the game in their study group. She had wondered what was wrong with him. However, she had known that Waya, as a _boy_, would never tell her what was bothering him. So she had decided to use a sneaky method by implying that she would always be there for him whenever he had a problem. To return her kindness, he had looked at her as if she grew another head and insisted that he was fine. After giving him hints numerous of times, the boy's replies had been the same every times. Soon afterwards, concern had turned into frustration.

_Is it going to kill him?? If he doesn't tell me, how in the heaven's name can I know what the problem is?! Why won't he say something?_ She grumbled moodily without uttering a word when they walked in silence to a game room. _Boys! Too arrogant to admit that they have a problem! Haven't they ever heard that sometimes talking can help! Nooo! They just keep it to themselves and pretend that nothing's wrong! Pretend that everything is fine, that everything is under control! Pretend to be cool! When they're sad, they keep their mouths shut! When they're nervous, they keep their mouths shut! When they're angry, they keep their mouths shut!_

…_.Well, maybe the last part doesn't apply for Touya-kun._ An image of a long-haired boy with piercing blue eyes suddenly emerged into her mind. _Touya-kun does tell me ….or rather yell at me when he's mad. _She snorted rudel_y. Ha! And they say he's a perfect gentleman! What kind of gentleman shouts at a lady anyway!_

"Good Morning." A gloomy voice greeted her. Hikaru had just realized they had arrived at the game room already.

"Ochi, Inagaki-san." Waya nodded in acknowledgement.

"Morning." She waved her hand in reply.

She scanned the room and noticed that there were fewer players than she had expected.

"There are only six of us?" Waya asked as he sat next to Ochi.

The short boy lifted his chin up haughtily before answering, "I won't mind a nice easy forfeit win."

_This boy can be funny sometimes. _Seeing Waya and Inagaki laugh, Hikaru smirked in disbelief. _Who knows what will happen next? Maybe Touya-kun will finally realize that lavender isn't the right color for him!_

But lightning doesn't strike twice, one miracle in a day was more than enough. Ochi's opponent, a pro from Kansai Go Association, did come at the last minute causing him to get a short lecture from Watanabe-Sensei, a Higher-Dan who took charge of the Hokuto Cup. The 7-Dans told them to take their seats and explained the rules.

/Beep/

"It's time," he announced, "Let's get started."

With her eyes close, Hikaru clutched her fan tightly and took a deep breath in. _Here we go, Sai._

* * *

Lunch time, McDonald's

"I see, you're gonna play Ochi." Hikaru sipped her coke and nibbled on her chips. The first round had finished already, and thankfully, both of them had won. At the moment, they were having lunch at McDonald's due to Waya's request, "There aren't so many of us, we have to face each other eventually." she noted.

"Yeah." Waya agreed, "Ochi is good, but I have caught up with him well after we passed the Pro exam." He stated seriously, as if to reassure himself, "Your opponent?"

"A guy named Yashiro," she responded, "A Kansai pro, white hair with a grumpy face." she added the details.

"The one Honda-san talked about?"

"Yup, the guy who played Tengen on his first hand." she took another bite of her chips, "From the game Honda-san showed me, I think he's pretty strong; I've been wanting to play with him." she paused, as if her thoughts had wandered elsewhere for a brief moment, "This game should be fun." she smiled merrily.

_Luckily, I'm not playing against Shindou or Yas__hiro. _Waya told himself._ I'm sorry Shindou-san... but I'm truly __glad that it's you who will play against him...rather you than me._

* * *

Meanwhile, at a restaurant near the Japanese Go Association

"Yashiro, you have to win this game." Suzaka instructed his underclassman, "If both of us lose, it will make Kansai Go Association look bad."

"I don't care about the Association." Yashiro spoke darkly in return, "I want to become a representative of Japanese Team; I won't lose to anyone, that's all."

It wasn't a lie; every single word was true. Yashiro would fight to death to win this game but he wouldn't do it for the Kansai Association. He didn't give a damn about the Association's reputation. He didn't care about the people at the Go Salon who were rooting for him. He himself had enough problems; he refused to carry the hope of others on his shoulder. Of course, he would triumph but the victory was for him, and for him alone.

Victory: he _needed_ it…almost desperately. His parents thought that Go was nothing more than a distraction from his studies.

"It's a waste of time. Go is just a game to kill time. You can't make a living by playing a board game." his parents (mostly his father) had reprimanded him.

He had countered their beliefs by showing them that there were people who actually played Go as their careers. They had said that he was not good enough to be a Pro anyway. Once again, he had defied them by passing the exam…undefeated. However, they hadn't been satisfied, they had told him that there was no future in the Go world since most of the players were old geezers who were withering anyway. This was why he had to win this coming selection match in the afternoon in order to participate in the Hokuto Cup. He wanted to show his parents that Go wasn't falling and that people around the world loved the game.

Most importantly, he wanted to show them that he was strong enough, that he wasn't a loser.

What he wanted was some respect.

_I don't care who the hell she is! Sorry girl, this game is mine! _

* * *

In the afternoon, Hokuto Cup Selection Tournament, Second Round

"We will start soon, you have 3 hours and………"

Yashiro barely heard what Watanabe-7-Dans was saying as he was trying to come up with a strategy against his blonde opponent sitting opposite him. He had seen her play in the first round; he knew it wasn't easy to win against her. She turned the tide of the game by attacking Black in the middle with one move only. _Maybe the title "Princess of Go" isn't just for show. Hmm, how should I play then? Tengen? No, no, that hand is getting lame. Ah! I know! How about this!_

* * *

Hikaru, along with the other pros who were observing her game with Yashiro, gasped in surprise. She had expected him to play at Tengen like Honda's game. This move, however, was beyond her anticipation.

_5-5 first hand…Not that it's never been played before but it's used even less than the Tengen. He has great confidence in his ability to play such a bold move. _She took a quick peek at the Kansai boy: his hair might resemble a punk but he got the look of a Go player – pure concentration shown on his face. He knew what the risk of playing at 5-5 was, yet, he had made that move. _I, too, believe in my Go. _With that, she slammed her white stone on the board.

She played at Tengen.

Now, it was his turn to gawk.

She looked straight at him, right into his grey eyes. He stared sharply back at her, returning her silent challenge.

/Pachi/ He made a move at 5-5.

Again, she saw people around her almost jump in shock. She grasped her fan firmly and forced herself a faint smile. _Naughty boy..._

* * *

Yashiro's intention to make 5-5 first hand was to puzzle Hikaru, still, she not only blocked his attack but countered him back by using Tengen at the same time.

Never before, had he imagined her to play that hand, _his_ hand_. This girl got__ guts, alright._ He smirked, clearly enjoying this exciting game. Then, he saw the threatening look she gave him so he decided to return her favor by making a move at 5-5.

And, the real battle commenced.

* * *

Near the game room,

"Touya!" Akira turned around. Kurata was jogging toward him.

When the chubby pro approached him near enough, he bowed politely, "Good afternoon, Kurata-san."

"What are you doing here? I remember you don't have a game today." The young pro smiled. Kurata was so in his character. Instead of saying hello back to him like a civilized man should have done, he shot him with a question, "Ah, I see, coming to check up your girl, aren't you?"

The gentle smile on Akira's face vanished immediately, "I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to meet my future teammates." he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down. Once he opened his eyes, he spoke solemnly, "And, I also would like to inform you that Shindou-san and I are rivals." he told him in a cold and unemotional manner, "Nothing more, nothing less." _Well, that isn't quite true, isn't it? She is my friend after all._

"Riiiiiiiiight." Came Kurata's reply.

He knitted his eyebrows in annoyance. Without a doubt, the 7-Dans didn't believe any of his statements… not a single word.

"How about you, Kurata-san?" he inquired, "You don't have a match either."

"Why do you think I'm here?!"

Honestly, he didn't know.

"I come to see my team!"

"Your team?" Confused, he repeated.

"Yeah!" Kurata declared with determination, "I'm the manager of the Japanese Team!"

"You are?" The blue-eye pro didn't doubt his strength. He was, after all, one of the strongest pros of the new generation. However, was he mature enough? That was debatable.

"An-Teson is the manager of the Korean Team!" his team manager said wrathfully, "How can I let him run the show alone, right?"

_Ahhh, that explains everything._ A realization hit Akira. Kurata's hostility against the Korean pro wasn't a secret. It was as fierce as Kuwabara-Ogata's rivalry.

"Every time I see his smug smile, arrz!" The fat man roared with frustration, "Touya!" he pointed his chubby finger at Akira's startled face, causing the boy to take a few steps back unconsciously, "Korean first board is Ko-Yongha! You gotta _slaughter _him!"

"Kurata-san, you do realize that he is challenging for the Kokuchu-title already, don't you?" the 3-Dans replied with a reluctant smile, "He's not easy to defeat."

"Of course, I do!" Kurata shouted back, "That's why I'm asking _you_ to!"

"Ku…" The Japanese First board didn't finish his sentence as he noticed an unfamiliar fat young pro running in a hurry into a room near by.

Without saying a word, both of them followed him.

"Here, the next move plays here." A panting voice came from the room. Akira guessed that it belonged to the large pro he had seen earlier.

"Woww."

"Brilliant!"

"What a hand!"

_Maybe they're discussing the game. _

"Yashiro and Shindou's game is sure exciting!"

He stopped dead.

_Did he just say Shindou?_

"But the previous move decided the end." Another deep voice rang out.

"Too bad that such a good player won't be a qualifier."

Akira swiftly sprinted to the room where the Hokuto Cup selection tournament was held_. Shindou, don't tell me that you…_

He reached his destination in no time.

He stormed into the room. He walked toward his eternal rival and stood there to observe her game.

He quickly scanned the board. _White won…Shindou won but… what a complicated pattern… Maybe I should ask someone in that room to show me how they played._

Then he headed off.

* * *

Ochi looked up from the Go board in time to see Akira getting out the room. Irritated, he frowned. _Touya doesn't change at all. Shindou is all he sees._

Many people believed Touya Akira was interested in Shindou Hikaru because she was his girlfriend. But they were wrong; Ochi knew better. He didn't even see her as a girl, he saw her as a Go player. He accepted her.

_Back then, he only took the bet because he thought I would lose from the start! How frustrating! _

"I resign." Waya muttered in defeat, his voice was shaking.

"Now we know who is better between you and me," Ochi spoke as he got up from his seat. Deep down, he was aware that Waya didn't deserve to be insulted like that, he had fought well with everything he had. Yet, he was so cross, he needed to let his anger out, "I am."

While he was walking out the game room, he heard a quiet curse from behind but he paid no attention to it.

As he passed Hikaru, he glanced briefly at her board. The moment he saw the game, he froze. He hastily exited the room to a room where the disqualified pros were having a post-discussion game.

"Shindou and Yashiro's game!" he huffed breathlessly. _Kurata-7-Dans? Why is he here?_

"So, you saw it already." Inagaki said before placing a white stone on the board, "Yashiro played his first hand at 5-5."

"5-5!" Stunned, he exclaimed. Behind him, Waya, too, cried out in shock.

"Yeah, and then Shindou-san moved at Tengen."

"Tengen!" They both yelled.

"Not only that," A guy who Ochi recognized as Waya's first opponent joined the conversation, "Yashiro played at 5-5 again."

"5-5!" They chorused loudly.

Then Watanabe-Sensei, Kurata, Akira, Waya, Inagaki, and the other 3 young pros (whom he didn't bother to remember their names) and himself started analyzing the game. He was getting more and more irritated as they kept praising Hikaru and Yashiro. They went on and on how brilliant Hikaru was and what a pity that Yashiro didn't qualify. He couldn't take it any more, it was that look again... that look of doubt. No one believed in him, no one believed in his Go.

_Not __again!_ He rushed out of the room to find Yashiro. Akira's face a year and a half ago when he had tutored him appeared in his mind, haunting him. _I don't get it...why? Why? Why!_

He caused quite a commotion by demanding a match between him and Yashiro. He couldn't convince himself to accept the result and become a representative like this... he couldn't forget the look on their faces.

In the end, Watanabe-Sensei and a guy who organized the Hokuto Cup tournament approved his request. Yashiro, too, was glad that he had a second chance. Once he won against the Kansai pro, nobody would ever doubt his skill ever again; then he would finally receive the respect he should have gotten.

Unbeknownst to Ochi, he had earned it already.

From Waya, out of all people.

* * *

**Words:** 2801

**Special Thanks :** Sany, my dedicated Beta :)

**AN:** Finally! Yashiro appears! I know, I know, my Hikaru is stronger than the original. Still, this Tengen vs 5-5 game is so classic, I want to keep it. Don't worry, Hikaru will Shine later :)

Writing about Ochi is very hard to me. Believe it, if I make a list of my favorite characters, Ochi won't be one of them. Still, he does deserve some credit, don't you think?

Every chapter from this chapter on are **un-beta **since my beta isn't available (God helps us all). The mistakes are mine alone.

**KatSakura :** _"lots of people having crushes on hikaru chan_..." It's an advantage of being the only female leading character :)

**kathystgqvk:** _"And how can Hikaru dislike coffee??"_ She only hates it because Akira loves it, just a rivalry between them :)

**numa :**_ "hikaru MUST win against yongha."_ Just wait and see. (wink)

**Ady:** _"...so it's still a long way off .."_ Telling you the truth, it's not that long. I mean, in Manga, the Hokuto Arc only covers 3 volumes only and my fic follows it pretty close so it won't be that long.

**yue hime:**_ "Meh, I haven't been on FFN much these days... too busy walking around in the cities."_ Poor you, hope Yashiro's appearance can cheer you up a bit.


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go. Some quotations belong to onemanga/dot/com

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

/ BlahBlahBlah/ Sound effect

* * *

**Chapter 7 : Gathering storm clouds**

Early April 2002, Korean Go Association, Press Headquarters

Frustrated, Yongha slumped onto a chair. _Who the hell he thinks he is? _With his hand crossed over his chest, he grumbled with annoyance. Of course, he wasn't An-Teson or Touya Kouyo but it didn't mean that this Japanese reporter could simply barge into the Association and interview him. He was young but he was also a pro, he_** did**_ deserve some respect. It's not that he didn't want to meet him, but was it _**that**_ hard to arrange the meeting in advance?

"What do you want to know then?" he asked with disdain.

* * *

At the same time, Chinese Go Association

"It is for the sake of playing with that person again, I continue improving myself." Kouya declared his goal. His expression was serene, yet, determined.

So-Chan-Wan remained silent for a while before he noticed the looks of other players around them, "I think they're waiting us to start playing."

"Are they? Shall we begin then?" Opening a top-cover of his Go jar, the ex-Meijin suggested.

The Chinese pro nodded in agreement, "Touya-san, this person whom you're speaking of...Who is he?"

* * *

In the meanwhile, Japanese Go Association

"Is that so? It means my opponent in the Honinbo title match will be you, Ogata-kun." Kuwabara, the current Honinbo, said with a challenging smirk to his competitor.

Ogata Judan stood tall and retorted coldly, "You better prepare yourself, old man."

* * *

Haze High school, Class 1-B, after the opening ceremony

"Thank goodness. I'm really glad that we're in the same class, Natsume-kun," Hikaru sighed in relief when she saw the familiar face, "I feel _**sooo**_ lonely without Akari and Kaneko-san."

" Haha, please don't. I'm still here." Natsume smiled kindly in answer. He had met the blonde when he had joined the Haze Junior High School Go club two years ago, "Mitani-kun and Tsuda-san are in the next class." he informed her. After the graduation ceremony, Fujisaki had asked him to take care of her best friend. To be frank, he had been taken aback. He had thought Hikaru would drop her studies since she had gotten a job already. Then he had learnt that the only reason Shindou-2-Dans decided to go to high school was because her parents had managed to convince her that possessing junior high school knowledge hadn't been enough for her to survive the current Japan. When Hikaru had announced that she would study at Haze High School, he had been delighted. And Mitani? The boy had been overjoyed.

He had expected them to stay the same. He and others would form the Go club, and Shindou-pro, who couldn't to join them, would visit them once in a while.

Then another surprise hit him. Kaneko and Fujisaki had gone to Meiryuu High School, one of the best schools in Tokyo.

It had turned out that one whom he hadn't expected to see in high school stayed at the same school with him while those whom he had assumed to meet went to another school.

Life was full of surprises.

* * *

Couple days later, Touya Meijin's Go Salon

" Not again, Little-Sensei, you shouldn't..." With one deadly glance from Akira, Kitamura shut his mouth in a blink.

" I just wanna tell him he shouldn't yell at Hikaru-chan, that's all." The blue-eyed pro heard him whispering to his friend.

_Traitor! _The 3-Dans scolded in his mind. Again, his ex-fan took Hikaru's side without considering the fact. It wasn't his fault that she had made such a careless move. Not only she refused to listen to his comment, she even called him arrogant. He was positive that his behavior was anything but arrogant. All he did was to give her his insightful remark (in a very professional way, he added) by telling her how foolish she was by making such a risky hand.

"But judging from how _**passionately**_ they argue, " came Hirose's merry voice, "you can see how they make good _**rivals**_ for each other."

_Not again._ The boy heaved a heavy sigh, he didn't miss the not-quite-hidden meaning in those words.

However, Hikaru did,"God of Go must be lonely then since no one is able to play at his level to be his rival."

Touya Akira gazed at the girl in front of him in amazement. Was Shindou Hikaru an idiot for _**not **_noticing the obvious hint Hirose had been implied? Or was she a genius for making such a philosophical statement? Seriously, he wasn't sure what to think of his rival anymore.

"Maybe this is the reason why He teaches us Go." Hirose said with a gentle smile. To be honest, the future Meijin had never imagined the bald man could be this profound, "So, one day, he'll find someone good enough to play against him equally."

…..

…..

Akira felt overwhelming warmth spreading over the salon. After few seconds had passed, he spoke up, breaking off the silence, "Let's continue discussing the game."

* * *

2 weeks later, mid April 2002, Japanese Go Association

"Touya-kun." Akira had just finished his Oteai game when he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

"Got a minute?" Shindou Hikaru asked, gesturing him to follow her.

Once they were outside the game room, she told him," Kiyoharu-kun called me last night."

_Kiyoharu-kun?_ It took his best effort to act normal upon hearing this.

"He called you?" _Smart Akira, she's just told you._ His voice was a combination between surprise and disapproval.

"Yup," Oblivious as always, she smiled blissfully, "I guess he got my number from the Association."

"And?"

"Well, he asked if you wanna practice with him before the tournament starts," she said, " If you do, he will come to Tokyo 3 days earlier." she informed him.

"I have no problem with that." he answered with a nod. Actually, it was a very good idea, he admitted.

"Where he will be staying?" he queried, not really interested.

"My house."

Now he was.

_**" What?!"**_ he exclaimed in shock.

" Well, at first he said he would stay at a hotel." she told him the story, "Then I was like ' Why wasting money? You can stay at my place for free!"

**"I'll spend the nights there too!"** Unknown to Akira, he shouted...very loudly.

"Eh?"

"You have a Go board, right?"

"Ye…Yes, I have one." Taken aback from his sudden outburst, Hikaru stammered in response.

"Good, it's plenty enough since there're only three of us." he said in a hard tone.

"Hmm, at first I thought we could play at your Go Salon. Now when I think about it, maybe it's better if we all stay at my house." she lightly tapped her lips with her finger, "We won't waste time on traveling and we can practice all night, Hmmm."

Akira had just realized that she looked incredible cute when she was thoughtful, the problem was Shindou Hikaru hardly thought before acting_._ "Food won't be a problem, Mom will prepare food and snacks enough to feed an army for us. Great! It's settled then! I'm gonna call Kiyoharu-kun and Mom!" At that, she waved him good-bye and went to call her mother and _**Kiyoharu-kun**_.

* * *

Few days later, Mid April 2002, Japanese Go Association, Lobby

"Hikaru-chan!" Hikaru almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a noisy call.

She turned to the direction where the voice had come from and saw a short man advancing straight at her, " Ko..se..mu..ra-san, right?" she greeted, not so sure if she remembered his name correctly.

" You can't lose to Korea no matter what, got it?" The said journalist said to her face.

"..." She was confused by his request, "Well, as a member of Japanese Team, I don't plan to lose to anyone."

**" Especially Korea!"**

" Kosumura!" Another man in a suit grabbed Kosemura's arm as a warning. _Maybe_ _he's his colleague._ Hikaru guessed. " Did you forget what you've just said about not telling anyone?"

"Err….Ano," she uttered with hesitation, "What happened?"

Kosemura was about to tell her something but his friend put his hand over his mouth and gave her an awkward smile," It's nothing. He's been really upset since he came back from Korea."

The small man struggled free from the seizure, "I can't simply sit back and swallow that crap!" he stamped his foot furiously in anger, "They said Shusaku was nothing!"

_What? Shusuku? Sai? _Feeling a bit lost by his words, Hikaru widened her eyes in bewilderment. _Sai?_

"They said they didn't learn anything from him coz Shusaku was weak and outdated!"

_Sai? Weak? What?_ She froze, speechless, she felt as if she had been slapped at the face…hard.

"The Koreans think like that?" she spoke in a whisper as she felt a cold wave run through her.

"Yeah! They don't even take Japan seriously!"

"Enough! Kosumura! Let's go!" the taller man pushed him to the other way earning a noisy protest from his mad coworker. He turned around and shouted, "Hikaru-chan! Not all Korean think like that! Only Ko-Yongha!" he shoved Kosemura into the elevator, saying the name once more, " Only Ko-Yongha!"

_Ko-Yongha... Isn't he the first board of Korean Team!?_

* * *

A few days later, the Dougenzaka

"Hikaru-channnn." Kawai song affectionately the moment she set foot into the Dougenzaka.

" Hi guys." Hikaru said to no one in particular.

" Isn't that Shindou-Pro?"

" _**The **_Shindou-Pro?"

" Hikaru-chan, it's been a while." The owner of the Go salon greeted her with a wide beam, nobody bothered to ask his name, everyone just called him "Master".

"Oh, Hikaru-chan, without you, this place is so gloomy." Kawai pretended to weep and dried his fake tears, "You don't know what it's like, to be with these old geezers."

"Hey!" his childish whine raised many protests from other players.

" You're one of the old geezers too!"

" Yeah, like you're so young!"

Hikaru smiled at the scene in front of her. _Something never changes._

"Congratulations, Shindou-san." A man around 25 years old spoke to her. He was so polite; it was enough to confirm that he was a newbie here. Plus, he called her "Shindou-san" instead of "Hikaru-chan", no regular players of the Dougenzaka called her in such formal way.

"The Hokuto Cup sounds really interesting!" Doumoto, one of her fans, said enthusiastically.

"I think it sounds tough," Terauchi, another customer, noted with concern, "Korea and China are strong."

"**What the hell are you saying?"** Kawai took Terauchi by his collar and bellowed at him, **"Hikaru-chan is going to win those brats!" **he turned to her, grasped her hand and squeezed them hard, "Listen! Hikaru-chan! I believe in you!"

She truly appreciated his support, it was flattering to have such a devoted admirer. But, to tell the truth, the man could be scary sometimes.

"Hikaru-chan, we are rooting for you." It was an encouragement from Doumoto.

"He's right, make us proud, Hikaru-chan." This one was from Niimi.

"Yeah! Beat them all!" And this was from Soga.

The customer kept approaching her. Some wished her good luck, some told her to slaughter the Korean and Chinese. The next thing she realized, she found herself surrounded by her supporters, the Dougenzakain, as Kawai proclaimed them to be.

"Now, now, people, don't give her too much pressure." Master told them with a soft chuckle, "Here, have a seat." he gestured her to take a seat at a counter.

"But, Master…." Kawai whined like a three year old.

As soon as she sat down, Doumoto began to bomb her with questions," Why don't you tell us about the Tournament?"

"It's gonna be held at a hotel, right? Aren't you nervous?" Kawai chimed in.

"Once I start playing, I don't think I will," she was confident of that, "But I'm not quite used to staying at a hotel." she confessed honestly.

"Why don't you stay at your place then?" the taxi driver offered, " I can give you a lift to the hotel in the morning."

"Thanks, Kawai-san." Not wanting to be rude, she turned him down gently and rewarded him with her winning smile, "But the tournament begins so early, staying at the hotel is a lot easier." she pointed out.

"They'll have a party too, right? Man, I wanna be there too!" Kawai's eyes glittered with excitement, he didn't sound so disappointed by her rejection.

"Aren't you all getting a bit carried away?" Master's wife lectured the guys, handing Hikaru a cup of hot chocolate.

"But this is our Hikaru-chan we're talking about!"

"We're just excited that Hikaru-chan is going to play in an international game." Niimi excused.

"That's right!" Agreed with his friend, Master declared firmly, "Hikaru-chan! We're counting on you!"

"Hey, hey, weren't you are the one who told us not to give her too much pressure?" Terauchi reminded him, the rest of the customers laughed.

_This place is so different from Touya-kun's Go salon_. "Maybe I'll bring Touya-kun along with me next time." She blurted out her idea.

" What? Touya?"

" Touya-3-dans?!"

" _**Nooooo!"**_ To her astonishment, Kawai cried like a wounded animal. His hands were on both sides of his face, his body was twisted as if he was in pain. Honestly, she thought his acting was a bit exaggerated, "You're gonna introduce your boyfriend to us, aren't you? Noooo! My Hikaru-chan is way too young for romance!"

" **He's not my boyfriend!" **

This was the moment Shindou Hikaru decided that she would never ever take Touya Akira to the Go Salon called Dougenzaka and introduce him to the Dougenzakain.

* * *

Next evening, Tokyo Station,

"Yo! Touya!" Yashiro called out as he saw Akira glancing over the crowd, searching for him.

"Yashiro." It was all Touya-3-Dans said in greeting.

_Arrz, don't tell me that you're angry, I'm only 15 minutes late. _"Sorry, I had to wait till I had finished my classes." he apologized. _It's not my fault, you see? And __**why **__do I__ have to apologize? It's not like we're on a date! _

"You continue your studies?" Yashiro couldn't blame the other boy for being surprised. It was rather strange for a Go pro to go to school. " Shindou-san goes to high school too." The statement caught his attention, maybe he wasn't the only who was in this position, "Hmm, maybe I should too."

" _**What?!"**_ he exclaimed, extremely shocked, " _**Why?"**_ _Doesn't he realize how lucky he is to have parents who don't force him to go to high school? __Let alone having the Meijin himself as a father!_

Akira smiled sympathetically at him. It was the same smile that his grandfather gave to him, the kind of smile that someone a lot older with more experience gave it to some one a lot younger with less understanding, " Go is about people, Yashiro," he began, "Going to school and meeting various kind of people there is one way to learn about people, about Go."

Mouth hung down, Yashiro gawked at him. _I can't believe it! What planet are you from, Touya?_

They waited for a while. Then their train came. Once they got on the trained he asked, "So, is Shindou-san's house is far from here?"

" No… but… To be honest, this is the first time I'm going there too." Akira replied, still looking at a drawing-map in his hand.

The 1-Dan couldn't help but raised his eyebrow questioningly at the answer. He should have known there was no way that the sharp-eyed Touya Akira would fail to notice it.

"What is it, Yashiro?"

"I'm just surprised that you've never been there before." he told him straightforwardly, he was an honest guy, some even had said he was _**too**_ honest.

" I don't have any reason to visit her." the future Meijin responded, his voice held no emotion.

" I thought you're her boyfriend." Missing an annoyed expression on his teammate's face, Yashiro voiced his theory. Once again he was too honest.

" There's nothing between us, whatever Go Weekly said is not true."

" Oh, I see." _Better not make him angry… _"So…have you ever played with her?"

" I often play against her," his team leader came clean, "She always drops by my father's Go salon when she doesn't have the Oteai match."

"………………." Once again, he couldn't stop himself from giving another boy an inquiring look.

"Is there something else you would like to ask me, Yashiro?"

Yashiro smirked and shrugged, "Nothing important, forget it."

* * *

30 minutes later, Shindous' residence

"Hi! Touya-kun, Kiyoharu-kun," Huffing, Hikaru welcomed him and Yashiro to her house, "You guys arrive late than I expected, you didn't get lost, did you?" she said as she stepped aside the door, letting them in.

" No, we just had to wait until **_Yashiro-kun_** finished his classes first." Putting his shoes on a shelf, it was Akira who answered her.

After they greeted Mitsuko, Hikaru led them to their room. They unpacked their things before going to her bedroom.

Although Akira had never set foot in any girl's room, he didn't expect it to be like this. Knowing Shindou Hikaru, he didn't expect her room to be this… clean.

Her bed was on the right of the room, next to a window. On the windowsill, there were six dolls, Akira remembered them, they were six of seven dwarfs from Disney's Snow White. A television and a radio were on a stand on its left side. Next to the stand, stood a tall shelf full of books. A middle-class Goban was on its side. Her desk was opposite to the bed. On the left of the room was her wardrobe which was shockingly large for one person.

_I've never thought a girl like her likes Snow White, not to mention to actually buy seven dwarfs dolls. _

Hikaru, who was carrying a snack tray, seemed to know what he was thinking so she explained, "Birthday gifts from Dad." She entered the room. But he and Yashiro didn't move a single step as they were still hesitated to follow her into her room. After all, this was the very first time they had ever set foot into a girl's bedroom, "Well? What are you waiting for? Come in." she urged, giving them an impatient look.

The boys exchanged quick glances and slowly walked into the room, unsure how to behave.

She placed the tray on her desk and climbed on her bed "He gave me one for the past six years. I guess he didn't know what to give to a girl. Let's me introduce you guys to my roommates. Meet Dopey, Grumpy, Doc, Happy, Bashful and Sneezy."

Sitting down in the middle of the room, Yashiro asked jokingly, "What will he do if he buys you the last dwarf?"

"Who knows?" She shrugged, then gave them her famous cheeky smile, "Maybe he'll get me 101 Dalmatians doll!"

Yashiro cackled loudly. Akira, who sat opposite the Kansai star, chuckled.

Once their laughter had faded away, the girl went to pick up the Goban and put it in front of them. While they were cleaning the Goban and Go jars, she asked her Kansai friend, "So, you're still in school? Me too."

Akira noticed that Yashiro didn't seem like he wanted to talk about this topic so he replied in his place, "His parents don't approve of him being a Go Pro."

Hikaru gave him the Ah-I-got-it look. "That sucks."

"Tell me about it, What about yours? They made you go to high school too, right?"

The Meijin-in-waiting could read hopeful anticipation on the face of his new friend. _Maybe he wants to find someone with the same problem to talk to._

"Well, I can't say that they _**made**_ me go to school," the 2-Dans tilted her head as she tried to find a right word, "They persuaded me too. Telling you the truth, at first, I wasn't quite happy about it," she admitted, "But it's not that bad, you know, going to school, I mean. I even help my friends to start the Go club." she stated proudly.

"That's good." As Go pros, Akira considered it was their duty to inspire people to play the game.

"Sure it is!" the sole female beamed happily, "I promise to drop by now and then. You'll never guess how much I learn from playing with them. I mean, they maybe amateurs but we can't get stronger by playing against pros only, after all, Go is about people, you know."

He smiled at her speech, glad to hear that she shared the same idea as him. Yashiro stared at both of them as if they were aliens from outer space.

"Good for you then." the white haired pro finally spoke up, "My folks forced me though. They said they wouldn't allow me to become a pro unless I continued my studies in high school." Pouting, he grimaced, his shoulder fell down. He let out a heavy sigh, he seemed so tired, "Whenever I have a game, they'll complain on and on about me missing school to play a silly game. This is why I'm struggling a lot." he told them, "Even they don't know a thing about Go, an international tournament must mean something. Now, all I have to do is win."

Eyes narrowed, Akira stopped dusting the Go jar at once," Do you even know the level of the Hokuto Cup?" He put it down and gave Yashiro an intense stare, "I hope that you're not that naïve to think that you can win just by wishing for it."

" Touya-kun! You don't hav…"

"It's okay, Shindou-san." Yashiro cut her off.

"Before we study Kifu of each member of Chinese and Korean teams, let's play as much as we can before Kurata-san comes here tomorrow. It'll be 10-second-per-hand Go." Opening his bag, Akira, as the leader of the team, said in a businesslike attitude.

"But I don't have a timer." Hikaru objected.

"I bring two from my house." he told her and brought out two timers from the bag.

"Speed Go is my specialty." Yashiro announced, glaring at him.

"As it's mine." Akira responded coldly, somehow he felt as if he had just accepted a challenge to duel.

* * *

**Words:** 3746

**AN:** Finally! A big change. I think it's more reasonble if the boys go to Hikaru's house. If I were her mom, I wouldn't allow her to spend 2 nights at any boy's house.

**Special Thanks:** an old reader

**KatSakura:** Here you go, new chapter, hope you like it.

**kathystgqvk:** _"...but I can't picture a hormonal/teen-angty akira..."_ haha, I can but it's quite a strange picture!

**an old reader:** Glad that you like what I said about Ochi. I thought about this part for 3 days.


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go.

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

/ BlahBlahBlah/ Sound effect

* * *

**Chapter 8 : At the Shindous's**

Yashiro staggered down the stairs. He didn't get much sleep last night as he had spent the whole night playing speed Go with both of his teammates.

The first time he had known about Akira and Hikaru was when he had read about them in Go Weekly. The pressed had referred to them as the "Prince and Princess of Go". He had snorted at that. This was Go for god's sake, not a realm. It was a title they had been talking about, not a crown, one had to earn it, not receive it just because your father happened to be the Meijin and handed it down to you.

In the beginning, he had imagined that Akira had been nothing more than a son of the famous Touya Kouyo. He had believed that everyone had kept praising him only because they had wanted to kiss the Meijin's ass.

And Hikaru?

Since there were so few female players, especially a young one like her, he had thought that they had just used her to draw attention of adolescent boys with her appearance and encourage female players with her so-called achievement. She, after all, had passed the exam with no loss.

He hadn't been sure if they had been really seeing each other. To him, it hadn't mattered though since they had been nothing more than publicity tools anyway.

To sum it up, in his eye, Touya Akira had been a boy who had lived under his father's wings and used his authority to command others while Shindou Hikaru had been a girl who used the influence of the said boy. A Daddy's boy and a gold digger!

But the truth he discovered was so different from his imagination.

First, their strengths were real. He had faced Hikaru in the selection round, he was still impressed by her ability to turn bad moves into good ones. And Akira? Well, to be honest, he had never anticipated a monster like him could actually exist.

Next, they weren't snobbish as he had expected them to be. They were normal fifteen years old like him. Akira was quite a nerd but _**still **_passed as a _**normal**_ boy. While Hikaru was, with out doubt, just a typical girl. (The night before, when he had taken a close look at the shelf in her room, he had found Manga hidden among Go book as if she had tried to make a good impression by hiding them from him and Akira but he had seen it anyway.) She even had confessed to them that normally her room had been a lot messier but her mom had forced her to spend an entire day cleaning it up.

Last thing, to be frank, he wasn't certain about this one…about their relationship. Sure, they were close, judging that they met each other almost everyday at Akira's Go Salon. But was it something more than friendship and rivalry? As a matter of fact, he had no clue.

Although, Akira had told him he merely respected the blonde's skill as a Go player should feel toward his rival, nothing more, nothing less than that. He didn't believe it, not even the slightest. It was clear that the other boy was quite protective (and possessive) of his rival, he had even forced the girl to change her nightclothes when she had come back from her bath wearing very _**very**_ short shorts. To Yashiro's dismay, she had listened to him and reluctantly changed to long yoga pants. (He had smacked Akira's head for that. For a genius like him, it was very stupid thing to do!) He also noticed that whenever Hikaru had called him "Kiyoharu-kun", his team leader would ask him for his opinion and end his question with "Don't you think so, _**Yashiro-kun**_?" as if he wanted to remind her what his surname was.

Hikaru, however, was a different story. She was a friendly girl, it was undeniable. So, there was a chance that she probably behaved toward everyone like the way she treated Akira.

So, in the end, after spend 9 hours playing Go with them, he still didn't know if they were couple or not.

Still, Yashiro thought that they were perfect for each other. They might look different but the truth was they were ridiculously identical.

For example: School

First, he got the 3-Dans who had declared that he had wanted to go to high school. Then he got the 2-Dans who had been forced to go there but found out that it was enjoyable nevertheless. Had he just stepped into a parallel universe or his teammates went insane? Honestly, he wasn't sure which one was better.

"Morning." the girl's voice interrupted his thought.

Rubbing his eyes lazily, Yashiro said in greeting, "Mor…..," Shocked by the picture before him, he lost ability to speak, his mouth opened wide.

At this very moment, he was completely awakened.

With a spatula in his right hand and a frying pan in his left hand, Touya Akira (of all people) was standing in a kitchen wearing an apron…a bright _**yellow **_(of all colors) apron with a big green number 5 on each pockets. On a counter, there were three plates. Each plate was full of sausages, two toasts and bacon.

"Wha…What are you doing?" he exclaimed, still stunned.

" Playing tennis, I guess." came a sarcastic answer from Hikaru, " Making breakfast, of course, what else?"

" But..Where's your mom?"

"She went to grandpa's." She turned around, opened a cabinet and brought out a glass. Akira was back to his cooking. "Don't worry, Mom will be back in a few hours to prepare lunch for us."

"Oh, okay." he responded dumbly.

"Milk or Orange juice?" she asked as he sat down at a dining table.

"Milk, please." She got a milk bottle from a refrigerator, poured it down into the glass and gave it to him, "Thanks." he said.

"I hope you don't mind western breakfast." She smiled, grabbed the plates on the counter and turned around. Right on queue, Akira carefully laid a side-sunny-up egg on each one of them. Seeing this, Yashiro made a mental note not to forget to buy a diary and write it down so the next generation would have a historical written record to prove to the world that once the great Touya Akira cooked for him. (But Shindou Hikaru, as a girl and a host, did not.)

_He didn't even need to tell her the eggs were ready._

As Hikaru was placing the plates on the table, Akira put down the pan in a sink, went to the same cabinet and took 2 more glasses. Without taking a single glance at Akira, the blonde opened the refrigerator and brought out two bottles from it.

_He didn't have to be told to take the glasses and she didn't see him getting the glasses either. How can the hell they do that? They can read mind or something? _

She filled both glasses at the same time; one with orange juice, another one with milk. Yashiro noticed that it wasn't the same milk bottle as his so he asked, feeling a bit guilty, " I drank all milk left in that bottle?"

" Oh, no, no, no." she chuckled lightly, " It's just Touya-kun prefers low fat with high calcium milk."

"…………."

"…………." Once they all settled at the table, he blurted out without thinking, " How long have you been married?"

He made another mental note not to ask Touya Akira while he was drinking unless he wanted to be the one to tell the Meijin that his only child choked on low fat with high calcium milk to death.

* * *

2 Hours later, in Hikaru's bedroom

Akira put down a Goban on the floor. At first, he had disapproved this idea but come to think of it, Hikaru did have a point.

Last night when she had heard that Kurata would come by to practice with them, she had asked her mother to go her grandfather's to borrow his Goban. Akira hadn't agreed with it. He stayed at Mitsuko's home and ate her food, he didn't wanted to bother her anymore.

" One Go board isn't enough for 4 players, Touya-kun." Hikaru reasoned.

It was true so he had conceded with her idea.

This was the reason why Shindou Mitsuko hadn't stayed home and cooked breakfast for her guests in the morning.

"So, your mom's back." Yashiro said. "Good." He nodded his head.

Knowing what the Kansai idol was implying, Hikaru snapped immediately, "For your information, I _**can**_ cook. I would have made breakfast for you guys, if Touya-kun didn't insist th…,"

"Cereal and milk can not count as a nourishing meal, Shindou-san." Akira cut in.

Irritated, she muttered under her breath, "Boys, eating like pigs even in the morning when we've just woken up."

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Shindou-san." he explained to her as if he was teaching a very thick student.

She pouted at him in response and retorted, "I _**did**_ help you cook, you know."

"Putting pieces of bread in a toaster doesn't count as _**"cooking"**_ either." he smiled triumphantly knowing that he had already won this fight.

_If look could kill, I would have been dead by now._ He thought as he saw the way she was glaring at him. Yashiro's snigger didn't help her to cool down either. _Maybe I'd better stop teasing her if I want to live long enough to play the Hokuto Cup. _"Speaking of your parents, I didn't see your father since last night," he changed the subject, "I'd like to thank him for having us here."

"Me too." the white-haired boy supported him.

"Dad went to Hokkaido." Hikaru informed them with a shrug. "It's better that he's off."

"??" Akira didn't understand.

"What do you mean?" Neither did the other boy.

"Kiyoharu-kun," she spoke slowly like he was three years old. Without her awareness, Akira had frowned when she had called him _**'Kinoharu-kun'**_ again. "What would you do if one day your little sister comes back home with two hormonal fifteen years old boys and spend a whole night with them?"

"Ahh," Yashiro nodded in understanding, "Got it."

" Dad probably comes to check us every 15 minutes." she narrated the possibility." To make sure that you two won't do anything funny to his only little girl."

Akira blushed crimson at the thought of doing _**that **_funny thing with her, he shouted at full volume, **" I…I will never ever do that with you!"**

…….

…….

" Err…I…I.," he stuttered, afraid that the blonde would get mad at him.

It came as a surprise when Hikaru stuck her tongue out at him, "Thank you, now I don't know if I should be relieved or be insulted." Huffing, she said with mock anger.

"Don't worry." the 1-Dan leered at her. " If Touya doesn't want to, I'll do it instead."

She laughed, clearly took it as a witty remark. But Akira didn't found it amusing….not at all, **"Yashiro!"** he chewed him out.

The said person looked at him before turning to Hikaru. They exchanged glances. Then they both cracked up loudly. It took him a moment to realize that the other boy was only kidding. He took few deep breaths to calm himself down, trying to find the way to save the rest of his dignity and to get himself out from the embarrassment, "Even it's just a joke, there is a limitation," he told Yashiro with a stern look, "What you have just said earlier isn't proper at all," he lectured him with disapproving tone, "It could count as a sexual harassment, you know." _And you too, Shindou-san! Couldn't you act like a normal girl once? You know, feel offended or get angry!_

"Hai, hai." the boy waved his hand in reply, completely ignored his comment.

"By the way, **believe me**, you **don't** wanna meet my dad." Hikaru looked straight at Akira while she said it.

_Huh? What did see just say? Something about her dad isn't it? _

"Because he doesn't like you." she added.

_What?_ "_**What?**_ But…but," he stammered in shock, "I didn't do anything to upset to him! I have never met him before!"

"You see, like I told you yesterday that at first I didn't want go to high school. Dad asked me why, I told him that I wanted to chase after you, that I didn't want to be left behind because I was busy wasting my time at schoolwork instead of practicing Go." she narrated details.

" Ah, I see, I see." Yashiro nodded in realization but Akira still didn't get it. Why did her dad hate him? He didn't do anything! However, the third board of Japanese team seemed to understand perfectly well, "So, to your dad, Touya is a boy who misleads his innocent daughter from the normal life to the bizarre world of Go."

_What? I mislead her? __**I**__ mislead __**her**__?_

"Hmmmm," Hikaru cocked her head and pretended to think, "You can say that." she answered with a sly smirk.

" **What?"** The next Meijin exclaimed with a mixed feeling between confusion and anger, "And you didn't do anything about it? Like telling him the truth!" _To defend me!_

She shrugged nonchalantly, "The more I stand up for you, the more he doesn't like you so I decide to let it go."

"Shindou, you….you….." He didn't know what to say next, he sighed in defeat. _I can't believe it!_

Yashiro was trying his best not to shriek with laughter, he seemed to enjoy this far too much in Akira's opinion," What about your mom?" _**Kiyoharu-kun**_ asked with a silly grin on his face. "From what I see, she's very fond of him."

To Akira's greatest surprise, she blushed. Shindou Hikaru **_blushed_** as red as tomato, "….Er….well,…the think is," she shifted uncomfortably while playing with few strands of her silky hair.

_Somehow I got a bad feeling about this._

"Mom kinda thinks that Touya-kun is my….errr…," Casting her eyes down to the board on the floor to avoid an eye contact, she muttered in an inaudible tone, her face flushed red, "My boyfriend."

_Eh? What?_ "Eh?" Akira blinked, too bewildered to catch up with the statement, "Huh?"

"No kidding, she approves of him?" Yashiro turned to him and said causally. "No offense, Touya."

The Prince of Go frowned at that._ It __**is**__ an offense, Yashiro._ " None taken." he said at last, in any case, Touya Akira was a well-bred gentleman.

"You see, when I was little, I was a bit of a tomboy." Hikaru began. Akira saw Yashiro's curious expression, he understood why he didn't quite believe her story. The current Shindou Hikaru, who was chatting with them, was nothing like the 12 years old tomboy he had encountered three years ago, especially not when she was wearing two spaghetti strap tops.

_Why does she have to put on two tops anyway? Why doesn't she just wear one appropriate shirt instead of two revealing tops like this? What's the point of it? Even though there are two of them, they don't help to cover her bare shoulder since they both are spaghetti strap tops. I have to ask her about this later. Girls are so difficult to understand. Why does she like to dress in this style? Didn't she see the way Yashiro looked at her legs last night when she wore those shorts?_

"…Then I changed. Mom got some crazy idea that I finally got in touch of my feminine side because I have a boyfriend, and yes, I did tell her that we're not together." she assured him before him saying anything. " But I don't think she believe me, she just thinks that I'm being secretive."

"So your mom thinks you two gonna end up married someday?" Yashiro asked, amused by the idea.

"Ha! As if I want to marry him." she snorted.

"And those are the words of a lady. From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realize that you were the last woman in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry." Akira countered back in his annoying sophisticated manner.

……….

………

Neither Yashiro nor Hikaru said anything, they only stared at him with a blank expression on their face.

" I was quoting 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen." he tried to explain….desperately. "You know, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy." _It's them who told me to be more sociable, smile and try to make jokes. Now when I made one, nobody got it. _

…………

………..

" That is the gayest thing I've ever heard." With both hand on his stomach, the other boy roared with laughter.

"Now, I am positively sure that we're never going to marry." Hikaru added up, shaking her head "I don't fancy having a fake marriage."

" I'm not homosexual if that is what you're saying." Akira argued in a collected tone.

They gave him a weird look, "Whatever you say, Mr. Darby." Yashiro said.

"It's Mr. Darcy." Akira bit out instinctively.

…………..

…………..

They stared at him again and fell down laughing.

Maybe he shouldn't have said that.

* * *

It was noon already. Hikaru thought it was quite a miracle that Kurata hadn't magically appeared on her doorstep at lunchtime. She wondered if he would let her play against Ko-Yongha or not. She had seen the Korean's record, he was good as the rumor said.

Finally, their team manager arrived at her house.

" Is there any food left for me?" That was what came out from his mouth once he had met them.

While they were having a snack break (upon Kurata's request), they chatted about how they got interested in Go in the first place.

Mostly they talked about Yashiro since there was nothing much they hadn't already known (or heard) about the magnificent Touya Akira. (In fact, Hikaru wouldn't be surprised if he was born with a Go stone in his hand like some kind of saints.)

Her fairy-tale was out of question, she couldn't just tell them she had been inspired to play Go by a 1000 year old ghost from Heian era, could she? However, she did tell Yashiro and Kurata how she and Akira had met and how he had thought she was a boy. She received a blazing stare from Akira but that was fine, as long as Yashiro and Kurata laughed at him.

She learnt that actually her new friend was born in Kanto region before moving to Osaka in Kansai region. His story was simple…very simple. Back then, when he had been in grade 4, he had seen old guys playing Go at the salon which belonged to Kansai Go Association, he had been curious so he had entered the salon. He had played the game and been captivated by it since the faithful moment, just simple like that.

Kurata told them he was worried about Yashiro since he had never played against Higher-Dans, he didn't know what the other side of Go was, he didn't know how it felt when a plain board game turned into a real battle with life and death on the line. She assured him that Yashiro-Pro wasn't a kind of players who easily got intimidated since they were talking about the pro who had guts to play 5-5 first hand in the selection round (which was a very important match). But the chubby manager wasn't quite impressed by his courage. He instructed the 1-Dan not to make such a move during the Hokuto Cup again. Hikaru didn't understand. Why not? Sure, winning was important but it wasn't the only thing that mattered. His hand had been wild but interesting nevertheless, it had made the game more challenging, so why not?

It seemed that Kurata was more conservative than she had expected. At this rate, he might assign Akira to play with Ko-Yonga. She knew perfectly well that he deserved the honor, she knew him well, hell, she knew him the best!

After that, they went to her room to continue their preparation. The 7-Dans commented on how big her wardrobe was, he even had the audacity to open it, causing her clothes to fall out!

After she cleaned up the mess (by tossing the clothes into the wardrobe), they spilt into two groups. Kurata played against Yashiro while she practiced with Akira.

_Touya-kun is good but it's not just it…his greatest strong point is his determination. _

_Touya Akira has never backed down no matter who his opponent is._

_Is it because I'm not craving for victory enough?_

_Is it because I haven't fought in a real match much enough like Morishita-Sensei told me?_

……………

……………

_But I can't let it end like this, can I?_

_That guy dishonored Shusaku._

_He dishonored Sai._

Sai wasn't just a ghost. To her, he was a big brother, a little brother, a friend, a mentor, a teacher, he was everything that a man could be for a girl (except a boyfriend). To think that Ko-Yongha had said something like that …..

She felt as if he had struck at her very soul.

She could not forgive him.

Really, she couldn't.

_I am alive._

_Sai is still alive._

_In me._

_In my Go._

* * *

**Words:** 3600

**AN:** Just like me, Hikaru can't cook. I know, from Japanese standard, she should know how to. But it's hard for me to imagine my Hikaru cooking. Luckily, she has Akira to do all the work :P

**Special Thanks:** To my new beta, tickely :D

* * *

**an old reader :** Thanks for your suggestion, I just got a new beta (who is revising the previous chapter at this moment), once I get suggestions from Tickely, I will combine them with yours and post the revised Chapter 7 again. Oh, I have revised Chapter 5 upon your suggestion, thanks :)

**KatSakura:** as your request.

**Lady Adako:** Be patient, she's going to meet suyong and yongha soon :)


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go. Some quotations are from onemanga/dot/dom.

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

/ BlahBlahBlah/ Sound effect

* * *

**Chapter 9 : Meeting at Seven Star Hotel**

"Seven Star Hotel, please go." Shutting a door, Akira told a taxi driver. He had come back to his home a few hours ago to get his luggage and change into his suit before meeting the rest of his team at the hotel. The opening ceremony would be held in the evening, the tournament would start on the following day.

In the backseat, Akira was looking out of the window, thinking back to the past two days. He had never spent a night elsewhere before unless it was an overnight job. He still couldn't believe that his first sleep over had been at Hikaru's house, for Go training, of all things. Even though it had been a tense practice session, he had found this experience satisfied nevertheless.

After Kurata had departed, they had spent two days practicing Go by themselves. They had studied and discussed about game records of both Chinese and Korean players the older pro had given them.

Everything had gone as he had planned.

Except one thing.

Except Shindou Hikaru

With his elbow on the armrest, he rested his chin on his fist, thinking about what his rival had said to their team manager.

…………………………………..Flashback began…………………………………….

"Well, I gotta go now. I have a game tomorrow." Kurata told them, getting his things as he prepared to leave.

"Ano, Kurata-san," Hikaru called him timidly, she looked hesitant, different from her usual self, " Can I be the first board?"

Akira was surprised to say at least. He was well aware that it wasn't for fame. Unlike some shallow pros, whom he had been misfortunate enough to encounter, the Shindou Hikaru he had known for three years wasn't an attention seeker. She would never ask to be the first board just to get noticed. Beside, she _**was **_well recognized already…against her wish, thanked for Go Weekly. _Then, why? _

"Hikaru-chan…" the 7-Dans spoke in a kind voice as if he was cooing over a newborn baby.

"At least against the Korean!" she interrupted, "Let me be the first board when we play Korean, _**please**_." she begged. Akira had never seen her this desperate before.

"Korea?" Confused, he repeated, "Ko-Yongha?" _For Ko-Yongha?_

"Ko-Yongha? You want to play Ko-Yongha?" Kurata questioned, raising his eyebrow with curiosity.

"...Forget it." Looking away, Hikaru said bitterly.

"Why him?" To his surprise, his tone of voice was strangely stern. Akira himself didn't know what possessed him to query her in such solemn attitude, "I understand if it's Hong Suyong, but why Ko-Yongha?"

"Hong-Suyong?" Yashiro articulated.

"Korean's third board," the Meijin's son enlightened him, "She played a game with him a year ago." Seeing Hikaru's inquiring look, he informed her, "Yun-Sensei was there. He showed me the game." No question needed to be asked between the two of them.

"Oh, really?" the white haired boy's eyes glittered with enthusiasm, " Who won?"

"She won." Akira replied in a flash.

"Touya!" the blonde cut off, "Enough, let's drop this subject, okay?"

However, Touya Akira _**was**_ a determined guy, "Giving up" wasn't in his dictionary, "But why Ko…,"

"Touya," she stared straight at him in the eyes and spoke in a hard tone, "Let's _**not**_ talk about this anymore, okay?"

That day Akira had added a new phrase to his glossary.

……………………………….Flashback ended………………………………………

They (mainly, Hikaru) didn't discuss the matter, it didn't mean Akira had stop thinking about it. It was human nature after all. The more you were told to forget, the more you would think about it. So, it wasn't his fault, right?

So, there were three mysteries waiting for him to solve;

First, how did Hikaru know Ko-Yongha? Akira knew her well enough to be certain that she wasn't the kind that was interested in foreign Go circle. To tell the truth, she shouldn't have even heard of the Korean prodigy, so how did she know him?

Second, why did she want to play against him? Of course, it was normal for a Go player to desire to face a strong opponent but somehow he suspected that she had a hidden agenda regarding this Ko-Yongha business, which leaded to another (and the last) question.

Why didn't she tell him?

Feeling a bit awkward with Yashiro's presence, he had questioned her whenever they had been alone, but the answer had always been, "Forget it.".

Akira don't understand why Hikaru didn't share the reason she wanted to have a match against Ko-Yongha with him. He wouldn't mind even if she wanted to play the first board in both games. He really wouldn't. But why didn't she say anything to him? With an exception from the real identity of her mentor, she told him everything. Apart from that, there was no secret between them.

Until now…

When he thought about it carefully, he realized that she hadn't mentioned about Hong-Suyong to him either. If Yun-Sensei hadn't informed him about that game, he wouldn't have known.

Since when did she keep a secret from him?

He was _**not **_satisfied with this situation, not at all. He liked to take control, to him, everything had to kept in check, and questions had to be replied, problems had to be resolved. But then again, the name "Shindou Hikaru" and the word "Controlled" didn't fit in the same sentence.

Akira didn't have the answers for these problems: he didn't know Ko-Yongha.

But he did know one thing.

He didn't like Ko-Yongha.

* * *

Hikaru wasn't in a good mood. She couldn't cast off her disappointment. It had been settled that Akira would be the first board. She didn't want it to end this way, she didn't want Ko-Yongha to get away like this, not after he had disparaged Sai.

Still, she accepted that Akira deserved to be the first board, he deserved nothing less. As much as she hated to admit it, her rival was better than her. Plus, this game belonged to everyone, to Japan, not her alone. The victory and the loss she would gain weren't hers, but Japan's. They had to choose what the best for the country.

And the best thing was Touya Akira.

If she had asked him, he would have given her the seat with no hesitation, she was sure of it. He had never been fond of being a celebrity. Truth be told, he hated every minute of it. He wouldn't feel offended if she stole the spotlight by taking his spot as the team leader.

Maybe Touya Akira was generous, but no stupidly so.

If she wanted to take what was rightful his, he would demand a reason.

But how could she tell him the truth? If she told him that she wanted to beat Ko-Yongha to get back at him for insulting Shusaku, he would have definitely questioned her further.

Why Shusaku?

Then, Akira, with that annoying genius brain of his and his exceptional observation, would have begun to comment on how her Go was similar to Shusaku's. Next, he would have said that she reminded him another Go player who was as strong as Shusaku, as if he was Shusaku himself, as if he was Shusaku with modern technique…. that she reminded him of a certain famous internet Go player, that she reminded him of Sai.

Then, he would have started interrogating her about her relationship with Sai, and she would have tried her very best to avoid the topic.

They would have been back at square one again. He would ask, she would have to lie, not a pleasant circle.

_Sai, I'm so sorry. I can't do anything. I can't defend you honor. _

Hikaru woke up from her trance when she heard Yashiro calling her. It seemed that they had reached Seven Star hotel. They got off Kawai's car and entered the hotel. Yashiro volunteered to go to talk to a receptionist about their reservation. Hikaru stood there alone, in the middle of the lobby. She looked around to scan the area. A man turned to her direction, their eyes locked at each other.

He was tall, young and handsome with his long brown hair. He was striking in his expensive white suit. She thought that, _**once upon a time,**_ before Ogata had become a creepy man as he was nowadays, he might look good like this guy.

Still, something wasn't right.

He was an attractive man, nobody could say it otherwise.

But every fiber in her body practically screamed… that she hated him.

"Shindou-san!" A sharp voice called out. A short boy who had been chatting with the man earlier walked towards her, a happy grin was on his face.

It was Hong-Suyong.

* * *

Suyong had been talking with Yongha. Suddenly, his friend had frozen. He had followed his eyes wanting to know what the tall boy had been watching.

It had come as a surprise; Yongha had been gazing at his crush.

Shindou Hikaru

"Shindou-san!" He called out, sprinting toward her, leaving Yongha behind by himself.

He couldn't believe it. He was certain that Hikaru would participate in the tournament. He knew they would meet sooner or later but he didn't think it would be this fast. The opening party hadn't even started yet!

He stood before her, panting, still trying to grasp his breath, "Hi, Shindou-san," he greeted, exhausted, "It's almost a year, hasn't it?"

"Nice to see you again, Suyong-kun!" she rewarded him with her cheery smile, "…..Wait! You speak Japanese!" she exclaimed, bewildered.

Blushing faintly, he rubbed the back of his head and replied, " Err….yeah, I studied Japanese a bit."

"Wow," Her eyes sparkled with astonishment, "Your Japanese is good!" she complimented with admiration making him flush even more.

"Than…Thank you." Embarrassed, he stammered, **"How..How are you?"** he meant to have a friendly chitchat with her, somehow, it turned out in a shout.

She was taken back a bit by his loud voice, " Err, I'm fine, Thank you, and you?"

"I'm fine too!"

"Good." she smiled.

_Man, this is so awkward!_ " I..I know that you will join the Hokuto Cup too, I'm hoping to play with you again." he informed her, "I'm the third board, and you?"

"I'm the second board." she answered with a dejected sigh.

_She must wanna to play against me too!_ "Don..Don't worry! I will stay here another day! Please come at my uncle's Go salon a day after the tournament! We'll play then!"

"Great!" Hikaru nodded in agreement, "I'll be there!" she promised.

"Great!" he grinned merrily.

"…By the way, Suyong-kun," she expressed in a quiet tone, "The guy who was with you a moment ago…."

_Oh, no. Not again, please don't tell me she wants me to introduce her to Yongha too…_ He almost rolled his eyes with boredom.

"Is he Ko-Yongha?"

"Yeah." his responded was flat, the previous excitement was vanishing.

………..

………..

"Do you Korean know Shusaku?"

He frowned, confused by the odd question, "Of course, we know him. We study the records of every legendary Go players from around the world in order to become the strongest." he stated, still puzzled.

"The strongest, huh?" she snorted rudely.

_This is so unlike her._ " Shindou-san?"

"I see, you Korean are so strong that you don't need to learn from Shusaku anymore." her words was full of animosity and hatred, she looked at him coldly when she spoke, " No use to study from a dead guy, am I right?"

"Shindou-san, what…"

"Ko-Yongha said that." Giving him a pure venom glare, she hissed. He had never imagined the sweet Shindou Hikaru could be this scary.

"_**What?!"**_ he cried out, absolutely shocked. _What?_

"Believe me, Ko-Yongha _**did**_ say it." she confirmed, spilling each word through her clenched teeth. She turned around, walking to the other way as if running away from him, " I want to thrash him and make him eat his words…,"

"**Wait!"** he dashed after her, **" Shindou-san!"**

"But the way I am now…"

"**Shindou-san!" **

* * *

Seven Star Hotel, Room 515, Ko-Yongha's room

"Hey, hey, I didn't say that." Yongha told Suyong in an offensive manner.

About 15 minutes ago, he had been talking to Suyong, he had laughed at the joke the short boy had made about Im-Irufan, their second board. When he had looked up, he had caught a young girl glaring at him. Swiftly, Suyong cried out "Shindou-san!" and chased her, literately, ditching him.

Yongha had smirked at that. Never in sixteen years of living, had he ever run after any women. It was women who chased after him. It was quite sad to see his friend acting like a pathetic lovesick boy. _Well, at least Suyong has a great taste._ He had thought. She was pretty. She had big round green eyes and long silky hair. She wore a short white cocktail dress with a halter neckline, giving him a perfect view of her smooth legs and slender bare shoulders. If Suyong hadn't called her name, he would never have imagined that she had been here for the same reason as him. She was the last kind of girls he had expected to play Go, not to mention a Go pro.

He had watched while Suyong had been chatting with her. It had been obvious his poor friend hadn't known what to talk or how to act once the girl had been presented in front of him. He had wanted to get over there and help him. Too bad, he hadn't been able to do that. If he had gone there and joined their little reunion, the girl would have fallen for him because of his gorgeous look and his charming persona like so many others. Although she was quite charming, he hadn't wanted to break Suyong's little heart by stealing his girl.

In a word, she was off-limits to him.

So he had decided to leave them to enjoy their reunion and gone back to his room.

Then, all of a sudden, Suyong had stormed into his room and demanded if he had affronted Honinbo Shusaku, the greatest Go player ever, during his interview with a Japanese reporter or not.

"I would never say something like that." he stated firmly. How could Suyong think that of him? True, he might be a bighead sometimes but he respected all Go players in the past. They had the same goal, they had paved the path to the Hand of God for young players like himself. He would never ever offend them in such foul manner, let alone a distinguished man like Shusaku.

"I thought so! So, I told Shindou-san that there must be a misunderstanding!" the younger pro spoke loudly, "What exactly did you say anyway?" he inquired with a mixed feeling between confusion and irritation.

"Weak, huh?" Yongha rubbed his chin, pondering hard " Hmm, I did say it." he admitted.

"_**What!" **_Suyong shouted, shocked and scandalized.

"That dim-witted reporter asked me if I know of Shusaku. Did he think I was stupid? Of course, I _**know of **_Shusaku. I study all records of the old masters," Yongha scolded with frustration, "So I mocked him saying Japan is weak because they study Shusaku and others without understanding the true essence of their play. It's sad because Japan is weak, and great players of the past such as Shusaku will be forgotten."

"What?" Suyong exclaimed in wonder, "But it's completely opposite from what Shindou-san told me!"

"Now when I think about it, it's kinda strange." Korean prodigy noted thoughtfully, "Our translator only said a few word to that Japanese guy."

"What?"

"Maybe he only interpreted the words he knew." he speculated.

"How comes he becomes a translator then?!"

"Who knows?" he shrugged, not really caring about it, "Maybe, they didn't have anyone else."

Tapping his hand on his forehead, the boy with undercut hair let out a sigh, " I got it, weak and forgotten, huh?" he took a deep breath as he came to a decision, " Okay, I'm off to tell Shindou-san the truth then." he stated, turned around and walked to the door.

Then an idea popped up in Yongha's mind.

"Suyong, Wait." he called out. He reached out to grab his jacket, put it on and stood up, "I'm coming with you."

"Eh?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I," Combing his bangs with his fingers, he said dramatically as if he was performing a play on a stage, "As one of the male species, don't want to be despised by a cute girl. Plus, don't you think it's time to introduce me to your girlfriend?"

"**Yongha!"** the shorter pro bawled, his face was red with embarrassment, "She's not my girlfriend."

"She's not? So you don't mind if I … well, _**get closer**_ to her, do you?" Yongha teased, giving him a significant knowing look.

"**Yongha!"**

"Okay, Okay." he raised both hand up in defeat and went to the door "Since she's yours, I'll keep my hand off of her."

"**She's not mine!"** He sniggered quietly as he heard Suyong's howling from behind. _He's so easy to tease._

They went to the lobby and the convention room where the party would take place, but Hikaru was nowhere to be found. The only choice left was her room so they went to ask a receptionist. Suyong tried his best to convince her to tell them which room the blonde was. The receptionist politely refused, stating that it was their policy not to reveal their customers' rooms for privacy reasons. However, when Yongha talked to her (He called it "chatting amicably" but Suyong and any normal people referred to as "flirting"), she willingly gave them the room number. Once they were at Hikaru's door, it was Suyong who knocked it while Yongha stood quietly behind him.

Someone inside the room sang "Haaaai,". Then the door opened, standing in front of them was Shindou Hikaru, the Princess of Go.

* * *

Seven Star Hotel, room 617, Shindou Hikaru's room

Hikaru was doing something she had rarely done, Shindou Hikaru was thinking…hard.

It had started when she had gone up to check her room since there had been time left before the party would begin. The room was a standard single room with a single bed, a small nightstand, a table and an armchair, a television, a telephone, a mini bar refrigerator and a bathroom; nothing special.

She had rested on the cozy armchair; her eyes were closed. She had slowly breathed in and out to cool herself down; the conversation about Ko-Yongha earlier had made her moody.

Then she had heard a knock on her door.

She had gotten up from her seat, gotten to the door and opened it. She had hoped to see Akira there, he could have come to pick her up so that they can go to the opening ceremony together. Instead of Akira, she had found Ko-Yongha at her doorstep, smiling at her.

"You…," she had hissed under her breath. She had been about to inquire what the hell he was doing here but Suyong had been faster.

"Shindou-san," he had uttered, "We desperately need to talk." he had asked.

She had responded automatically. She had stepped aside, letting them in.

Suyong was like Akira and Yashiro when they had first entered her bedroom, he had been awkward, unsure of what to do or where to sit. Unlike Suyong, it wasn't Yongha first time he had been in a girl's room, he quickly found a comfortable place to sit on. Her bed.

"So?" She had said as she had taken a seat on the armchair. Suyong had been left standing next to her bed, "What can I do for you gentlemen this evening?" The question had been polite but she had made sure that a trace of sarcasm could be found in every syllable she had spilled out.

"Well, about what that journalist told you," her Korean friend had began. Then he had explained the whole situation to her from the very beginning, about Kosemura going to their Association without making an appointment, about their lack of competent translator and how Yongha's words had been misinterpreted.

As a result, Hikaru was now having a headache.

_Should I believe them?_ She asked herself.

_This is Suyong for god's sake, Hikaru! Of course, you can believe him._ The optimistic Hikaru suggested.

_I know I can, but it's Ko-Yongha whom I don't know._ Another part of her still doubted though.

_But he's Suyong's friend. Plus, Suyong believes him, doesn't that enough for you?_ came a retort from the positive side.

_I see your point but…_ she hesitated._ I don't know. After hating him for like what…a month? You're telling me now that it's all a misunderstanding?_

She sighed, she glanced at Yongha to observe him. Then he spoke something in Korea, waking her from her internal debate.

"He said he would never insult any Go players like that." Suyong told her.

She averted her eyes from the younger boy to Yongha, he was staring at her.

" xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,"

"Every true Go players deserve to be respected." Suyong translated as the speech went on.

"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

"No matter how weak or strong they are."

"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

"It doesn't matter if they are still alive or…err… dead." he uttered indecisively. Hikaru could see he was reluctant to say "Dead" but he couldn't come up with the better words. Apparently, his Japanese wasn't _**that **_fluent. She also noticed that Yongha kept looking directly at her the whole time.

"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

"For we all have the same goal."

"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

Suyong turned to gawk at his friend with overwhelming amazement, whatever Yongha had said astonished him. Then he spoke in an inaudible whisper, "To link the far past to the far future."

_!!_

"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

"Isn't that why we're here?"

She gawped at Yongha with wide eyes. It was hard to explain how she felt. A minute ago, she had been arguing with herself whether to believe him or not, and now she couldn't help but impressed by the man for making such a profound speech. _To link the far past to the far future? The far past…Sai_

Yongha was still fixing his intense look at her with rigid attention. Hikaru exhaled in a long deep breath, letting herself to fall back into the armchair.

Following was a silence.

……………

……………

…………….

She didn't recognize how long it had been, it could have been 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes or eternity, she didn't know. She had been looking out the window, simply staring into space. If she had turned back, she would have seen Suyong who had been on his feet shifting awkwardly while Yongha, who hadn't gotten bored of gazing at her yet, observed her as if trying to read her mind.

At last, she finally spoke up, " Fine." she said it with a sigh, " I believe you." _I hope I'm making a right choice._

"Really?" Suyong was clearly overjoyed by the verdict.

" Yes." She confirmed him, " But let's get this straight, just because I believe you doesn't mean I believe him." she tilted her chin toward Yongha, " I know you but I don't know him, I don't trust him." she declared resolutely, " But if you insisted that he didn't say those thing, I'll believe you." she lied, knowing that someone with such a reverent concept of Go would never insult Shusaku. Suyong was telling Yongha what she had said, " I will introduce you to Kosemura-san, the reporter you met, but I won't help you clean up this mess, you gotta do it yourself." Picking a key card, she rose up, " Now, let's go before our teammates send a searching team to find us."

They didn't talk much on the way down to the convention room, it seemed that each of them had something on their mind.

"There you are, Shindou, Kurata-san has been looking for you." came a reprimand of Touya Akira.

* * *

**Words**: 4208

**AN:** Finally the Hokuto Cup begins! Yongha is such a flirt! Seeing that this Hikaru is a girl he goes to clear it up! That makes everything change, doesn't it?

**Special Thanks:** My beta reader,Tickely.

* * *

**an old reader:** Pride and Prejudice, and cooking, Akira is even more girly than Hikaru :)

**Maya:** Yashiro, you could convince a silent reader to show herself! Good job! Thanks for your review, I hope that you won't become silent again! Always love to read a review :)

**kathy stgqvk:** " i think akira was sweet (in his own way), i really like that book and movie" Of course he is :D Telling you a secret, my inspiration to mention Pride and Prejudice is because when I was drafting Chapter 9, I was chatting with Noemie (my beta reader for chapter 1-6) about how cute Mr. Darcy is. So I came up with Akira's joke.

**rosebud:** Welcome back, nice to see you again. Thanks for the compliment, hope you like this chapter too.


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go. Some quotations belong to onemanga/dot/com

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

/ BlahBlahBlah/ Sound effect

* * *

**Chapter 10 : At the opening ceremony**

Seven Star Hotel,

5 minutes ago, Touya Akira had been worried. He had agreed to meet his friends in front of the convention room. He had already found Kurata and Yashiro but Shindou Hikaru was nowhere in sight. Yashiro had told him that after receiving a key card, she had mentioned that she wondered what her room would look like. Akira had sighed at that. Only Shindou Hikaru would wander around when the opening party was going to start in less than three minutes. Beside, they still had to register, and meet and greet the sponsors of the tournament.

At last, a minute before the party would begin, he found his rival. Hikaru was wearing a knee length, white halter dress. The fabric was shimmering under the light, making Hikaru radiate a soft aura. She looked so...so...feminine. True, she didn't look like a tomboy anymore and he had seen her wearing a skirt numerous times. But never before had he seen her in a dress this...feminine. He wondered why he hadn't noticed before how fragile she was; he was certain that even _**he**_ could break her slim waist. Hikaru looked stunning, no, she _**was**_ truly stunning. If he were a normal teenage, he would have gaped like an idiot after seeing her transformation from a loud-mouth girl into a lady. But he was Touya Akira, he wouldn't allow himself to act that way. Although he was amazed by her appearance, he recovered his composure quite well. He couldn't just tell her how beautiful she looked. It would be too embarrassing so he stated in a disapproving tone instead, "There you are, Shindou-san. Kurata-san has been looking for you."

"Oh, sorry, Touya-kun." she apologized, "I lost time talking with Suyong-kun and Ko Yongha-san here."

_Ko Yongha?_ Akira had just acknowledged the existence of the Koreans. How long had they been standing here? Wasn't Shindou alone a moment ago? He observed the two boys who stood much too close to her; one was short, the other was tall. His men..masculine...whatever… intuition told him the tall boy who looked like a playboy was Ko Yongha.

"Nice to meet you, Hong Suyong, I'm Touya Akira." Tilting his head down a bit, he greeted Suyong in Korean. "Yun-Sensei showed me your game with Shindou-san. You played well."

"You can speak Korean?" Suyong uttered, looking very impressed by Akira's grasp of his native language.

"Just a little," Akira smiled in return. He turned to talk to the other boy. "You must be Ko Yongha! I've heard so much about you." he informed him in a civil yet strangely cold manner, before declaring, "I'm looking forward to play against you." Then he slid his arm around Hikaru's waist. "Kurata-san is waiting for us." he whispered. "Please excuse us." he told the Korean pros before leading Hikaru to the convention room.

* * *

_So __**that**__ is Touya Akira._ Yongha thought as he watched the pair leaving. Ahhh, I see. Even a five year old could sense the threatening pressure and hostility Touya Kouyo's son had sent towards him; of course, he had felt it too. _So, this is what it's all about._ _Seems like this boring tournament is getting more interesting._ He smirked cheekily and followed Akira and Hikaru to the said room.

* * *

In the convention hall,

_This stupid flower makes me look ridiculous!_ Yashiro cursed as he peeked at the flower on his chest. _What the hell are we doing anyway!? This has nothing to do with playing Go!_ The party had started for 30 minutes now, all they had done was chatting, smiling, shaking hands and taking photo like a bloody politician in an election campaign.

_No, Touya is the one who acts like a politician. _He gazed lazily the boy standing next to him, who was talking to some investors whom Kurata had introduced them to.

"I thank you for supporting this tournament." Akira said to the businessman. "My teammates and I will make sure that we won't disappoint you."

_What? Don't start making promises!_

"Haha, what a confident young man!" the man laughed with satisfaction. "Good, Good."

"Ah! And this is Mr. Ichida." the 7-Dans addressed another man to them. " He's the owner of this hotel and he..."

It went on for another hour. Yashiro sighed, he was tired and his legs were stiff from standing around too long. _Why do many of them want talk to us anyway? _He asked himself in silence as he drank his Coke and finished it in a single gulp. As he watched his friends, he didn't fail to notice how often Hikaru would unconsciously touch Akira's arm or the way the said boy rested his hand on her waist as he tried to guide her away from a short Chinese boy whom he had been suspected to be his opponent. _And he said she was just his rival. _He sniggered. He couldn't really blame his buddy though. Just the fact that the blonde was the sole female competitor had already made the public interested in her. Plus, in the room that was full of middle-aged men, Hikaru, in her white dress, _**did**_ stand out. _Everybody wanna have a chance to meet and greet the famous Princess of Go, so who else can protect her from a mob of crazy fans but the Prince of Go? _He laughed quietly when he saw Akira trying to join in a conversation between Hikaru and Lu Lee. _Keeping boys away from Shindou-san is sure a hard job._

* * *

Meanwhile, in the hall,

_What am I doing here?_ Hikaru questioned herself in frustration. _Who are these people? We don't know them. They don't know us, then why on earth do they want to talk to us anyway?_ She stole a quick glance at her from the corner of her eyes, Akira was chatting with a foreigner businessman. _It's your fault! Seems like everyone wanna to talk to the great Touya Akira. And now I'm stuck with you!_ Despite of her unspoken grumble, she didn't leave his side. She hated this… this little social gathering thing. Without him, she didn't know what to say to these sponsors. Not to mention that she didn't speak Chinese and Korean. _Hmm, his effort to take those language classes finally pays off. Speaking of Korean…_She glanced over the room.

"Ano," she spoke up, "Excuse me for a minute." she said in Japanese and left the group.

* * *

Akira raised his eyebrow at her departure. Wasn't she the one who had _**ordered**_ him not to leave her alone? And now, she was running off? His eyes followed her. She was heading to the Korean team. His instinct told him that he was not going to like whomever she was going to talk to. He hoped he would be wrong. There were times when he wished his intuition would be incorrect. Even he himself thought that it was annoying to be right all the time.

But then again, he was Touya Akira, he was always right. Hikaru was walking directly towards Ko Yongha.

He frowned as he saw her introducing Ko-Yongha and his friend to Kosemura from Go Weekly. _Why does she have to do that? Why Kosemura? Why Ko-Yongha? Did she just leave me to talk to him? _While Hikaru, Suyong and Kosemura were having a serious discussion, Ko-Yongha looked around, scanning the room. Then their eyes met. Even if it was a very brief moment but Akira swore he saw it. _Did he just smirk at me?_ After that, he didn't pay attention to whatever the businessman in front of him was saying anymore. In the end, the journalist smiled, laughed in his usual cheerful manner and bowed his head to apologize to the Korean's First board. He saw Hikaru smiling at the sight of Ko-Yongha shaking hands with Kosemura while Suyong sighed in relief. _What is going on here? _He wondered. Then the blonde waved them goodbye and returned to his side.

"Shindou-san, wh—" _What was that all about?_

"Now we'll draw the playing schedule followed by a few words from our participants." Right on cue, Sano Tomoko, the emcee of this event, announced the start of the ceremony.

Kurata, Yanghai and An Te-son went up to a stage. In the middle of the platform, there was a box. Next to the podium where Sano stood was a large grouping schedule board. Although Akira was still full of questions to ask Hikaru, he couldn't help but smile with amusement as he saw Kurata pushed An Te-son out of his way so he could pick a ball in the box first. It was hard to believe that a childish individual like him could be very strong in Go.

Finally, the drawing was finished; the line-up was set on the board.

"Hmm, seems like Chinese team's gonna have a hard day tomorrow." said his eternal rival from his left.

"I agree." Akira nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on the board. Tomorrow, the Chinese team would have a match with them in the morning, before playing against the Korean team in the afternoon. It would be a stressful day for them indeed.

"And now a short speech from our managers." Sano announced.

" I'll start! Right?" a microphone was in Kurata's hand already, and he gave her a look as if to say 'Go on! Take it away from me, if you dare!'.

"Ye..yes." Sano stammered her answer.

"Ah-ham," Kurata cleared his throat, "Even though Touya Akira is our main player, the other two players will shine as well." He declared with confidence. **"And I don't want to see An Teson win! His victory face is disgusting!!"** he shouted heatedly.

"They are some kind of rivals?" Yashiro, who was on Akira's right, asked.

"I'm not sure." He had once heard that they didn't get along well but he didn't want to think about it at that moment as he was busy wishing the floor would part and swallow him to save him from the embarrassment for having such immature man as a manager.

"Enough already! It's my turn, Kurata!" Yanghai snatched the microphone from the fat man and began his speech in Japanese. "I believe it will be an exciting competition. I'm worried about the players though. After all, they are just kids. It's our responsibility to chaperone them. Yet, Japan's team manager seems more childish than his players."

At that, the crowd laughed and so did Akira. It was a bit rude to laugh at his very own team manager but the man was right.

Next was An Te-son's turn.

"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" he spoke in Korean.

"As Mr. Yan has said, we take our responsibility of our players seriously." a Korean translator said. "I also hope to go sight-seeing in Japan. I believe the winner will be Korea."

Yashiro whistled, " Quite a bold statement. He is very confident, don't you think?"

"Well, he does have a reason to be confident since Korea is the strongest right now." Hikaru piped up.

Akira frowned. _Did she just imply that Ko Yongha is better than me?_

"Thank you. Now a few words from our players." Sano stated, and the three team managers gradually left the stage.

"Yo! Touya!" the chubby pro called him and pointed his thumb to the direction of the stage, "Your turn now."

"Hai." he replied dutifully. In fact, he didn't want to, he hated to being in the center of attention. However, he couldn't deny that it was a part of his job. As he started to walk towards the platform and away from his team, he felt someone grabbing his sleeve. It was Hikaru.

"Good luck." she gave him a wink when she told him.

Smiling back, he nodded and went to the stage without realizing he was being watched.

* * *

" ... I admit this is the first time we've ever participated in an international tournament…." The translator of Korean Association whispered Akira's statement to Yongha but he wasn't listening. He was thinking back about what had happened before the ceremony had started.

He and Suyong had been drinking ice-lemon tea to ease their thirst after giving interviews to god-know-how-many-reporters; he had felt as if he had traveled through a desert.

He had been surprised when Shindou Hikaru had come to talk to them. According to his friend, she had volunteered to introduce them to the journalist she had met at the Korean Association in order to explain to him what really had happened. Suyong had accepted her offer immediately without waiting for his answer. The boy was diplomatic, of course – he didn't want him to cause an international conflict. To be honest, he didn't care if he did. Nevertheless, since Suyong seemed so enthusiastic plus the Princess of Go had walked across the room for this matter, he hadn't been able to say no. Ko Yongha wasn't the type who refused lovely ladies.

True to her promise, she had presented them to the short reporter (his name was Ko…something).

Then she, the reporter and Suyong started discussing in Japanese. He had been bored to death. Even if he had been the subject they were talking about, he didn't understand a single word they had said. He had looked away from the trio and found the familiar face of Touya Akira staring at him. He had sniggered at the Japanese boy since he had known exactly why Akira was looking at him.

" ….We promise not to disappoint you." The leader of Japanese team finished his announcement, receiving loud applause from the public. He gave the microphone to Lu Lee, turned around and walked to stand at Yongha's side, allowing the Chinese leader to stand on the podium. When Akira had turned around, Yongha hadn't missed the glacial look on his face. Even now, with Akira standing next to him, Yongha could feel a wave of deadly chill spreading out from the younger boy.

_Hmmm, it seems like I'm not welcome here. _

"You're next." the interpreter tapped his arm.

He got the microphone from Lu Lee. _Well, since it's so cold here, maybe I should start a fire._ He smiled and spoke to the crowd, "I'm glad to be able to meet the Princess of Go face to face. I'm sure that many of us feel the same, especially us boys."

"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" The interpreter translated. People laughed at his joke. He noticed Hikaru looking down to the floor, probably blushing a deep red. _Hmm, Kinda cute._

"I see that you Japanese have your own Prince of Go." he went on.

"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

"In Korea, I, myself , am the Prince of Baduk." he stated. He didn't even _**try**_ to be arrogant, he knew that he was – it was his innate gift.

"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

He turned around to Akira, making sure that he gave him his most arrogant smirk.

"Now, we'll see who is the real Prince of Go." he announced in a challenging tone. The translator looked at him in alarm, hesitating to translate his dare to the public (since the future sponsors for their Association were also there).

He pointed at the famous 3-Dans, "You," Then he pointed at himself at the chest, "And me," he pointed up to the ceiling and declared in a sharp tone, "There can only one Prince of Go!"

…………

…………

Then there was silence. Nobody knew what to say, Yongha was positive that everyone, even those who didn't speak Korean realized what his gesture meant.

He walked towards Akira, who was still glaring at him. He leaned over and whispered in Korean, "Whoever wins get Shindou Hikaru." He didn't know how good the boy was in his language but he was certain that the name "Shindou Hikaru" was more than enough to get his attention.

Then he went down the stage to rejoin his team, after giving Akira one last smirk.

From the way the great Touya Akira had looked at him, Yongha knew he understood his words perfectly well.

* * *

Room 514, An Te-son's room

Many young Baduk players wanted to grow up to become a man like An Te-son. Last year, he had competed for the Kuksu title, which was the most prestigious title in the world of Korean Go. Even though he did not win the title, he had become the youngest player who had ever entered into the most honored tournament. Last month, he had just beaten Kurata-7-Dans of Japan in the Samsung tournament. Right now, he was playing in the LG Refined Oil Cup tournament, the national tournament with the winning prize of 35 million won.

An Te-son was strong and successful.

Not only that, he was a very sociable as well – he was as pleasant as Yanghai. However, unlike the said Chinese, An Te-son was still able to carry an educated air around him, along with his friendliness.

An Te-son was strong, successful, sociable and sophisticated.

He was the same age as Kurata Atsushi. But, unlike Kurata, he didn't have a big round belly; An Te-son looked smart with his tall and slender figure. He wasn't childish like Kurata either.

An Te-son was strong, successful, sociable, sophisticated, handsome and mature.

He was perfect.

Unfortunately, the perfect An Te-son was having a migraine. The one who caused it was no other than his favorite student, Ko Yongha.

"Mr. Yanghai was right. No matter how strong your Go is, you're just an immature kid." Shaking his head, the 8-Dans grumbled wearily. After the scandal Yongha had caused, he practically dragged the notorious Prince of Baduk back to his room to prevent him from getting assaulted by Touya Akira's supporters.

"Come on! What I said was no big deal." Yongha yawned.

An Te-son sighed, the boy's ignorance was even worse than he had expected. (And he had expected the worst, to tell the truth.)

After all this time, he had believed that Yongha was mature enough so he had never been strict with him the way he had been with Suyong or Im Iruf-Han. _Is this the reason why Yongha turns out to be like this? Is it because I spoil him too much? Is it my fault? _"This is a Japanese tournament! We are their guests!" he reproved him in a desperate cry. "What you did will enrage the Japanese."

"I don't think so – at least the press's gonna love it." his team leader argued confidently. "I can see the headline now." he waved his hands dramatically in the air. "The Prince of Baduk vs. The Prince of Go! Who is the real Prince?!," he turned and gave him a smile. An Te-son hated that smile. It was too sweet, too innocent, very un-Yongha like. "It's good for promoting the tournament, don't you agree?"

He let out a tired sigh again, suddenly feeling so exhausted. _It's useless, no matter what I say, he won't understand…No, he won't even bother to try to understand. _

"This is ridiculous, I'm gonna go to bed now." Im Iruf-Han stated and walked straight to the door.

"Good night then," Yongha said, "I know how much you need your beauty sleep." he jested in a mocking tone.

After Im Iruf-Han's departure, Suyong, who was still in the room, questioned his sixteen-year-old friend, "I just don't get it. Why did you rile up him like that? And I mean, Touya Akira, not Im Iruf-Han, coz you do that to him all the times."

"Ouch, Suyong, you make it sound like I'm a low-class street bully." the brown haired boy placed his hand over his chest and pretended to be hurt.

"Yongha," An Te-son uttered with a sharp glare, letting him know that his patience was getting thin.

The Prince of Baduk looked at him with his eyebrow raised, as if he wanted to say 'Hey, are you serious? You're getting angry at me?'. As he saw An Te-son was still glaring at him, waiting for his answer, he replied, "Well, I just wanted to make this tournament become more….challenging."

Both Suyong and he heaved out a gloomy sigh. Yongha laughed happily at them before rising up to leave the room.

_Kurata is going to hate me even more. _An Te-son thought.

* * *

Room 615, Kurata Atsushi's room

Hikaru thought it wasn't fair that Kurata's room was bigger room than hers. He was just a manager. He didn't even play a single game but his room was better than hers. He had a queen-size bed, and chairs that looked more comfortable_. Even his wardrobe and his mirror are bigger; it's not like he's gonna use them anyway._ She pouted moodily.

"That's enough for today. Tomorrow we'll play the Chinese team at 9, so go to bed and get some sleep." The manager instructed them.

"Hai." Hikaru and Yashiro uttered. But Akira didn't respond, he seemed to be lost in his thought.

She knew what he was pondering about. Hell, judging from his scary face, who didn't? "He just wanted to annoy you, you know." she spoke up.

Akira turned to face her and questioned with a strange stiff voice, "Didn't you see the way he challenged me?"

"Well, I'm not blind, am I?" she answered him sarcastically, "Of course, I did."

Akira's mood didn't improve, plus Hikaru felt that they were about to have another fight. She shook her head. _We're going in the wrong way again._ "Listen, all I wanna say is you shouldn't fall into his scheme, letting him control you like a string puppet." she reasoned.

"I know." he replied. Then he looked at her questioningly and inquired her in a business like tone, "Don't you want to play against Ko Yongha anymore?"

"Errr, actually…no." she confessed.

"You didn't seem to be in a friendly term with him at first." the Meijin's son noted. "Why the sudden change of mind?"

_He's so observant; he would make a good detective…_ _Maybe it's time to tell them the truth. _"Well, you see, one day Kosemura-san came to talk to me……," Then she told them everything from the beginning, about what Kosemura had informed her, how she had been furious at Ko Yongha, how she had wanted to beat him in Go and make him eat his words, about Suyong's explanation; she informed them every detail about the misunderstanding due to the language barrier.

"But why did you have to get that mad?" Yashiro asked naively. " I mean, Shusaku is already dead for a long long time."

_Damn it!_ Hikaru cursed in silence then she managed to smile at Yashiro, "You probably don't know, Yashiro-kun but I'm a big fan of Shusaku," she told him; it wasn't a lie anyway. "You ought to be angry when someone insults your idol, am I right?"

"Hmm." the Kansai pro hummed as he tried to comprehend the information. Akira didn't say a word.

"That's right! I just remembered!" Kurata exclaimed out loud, "Hikaru-chan is Shusaku's calligraphy expert!"

"**Shusaku's calligraphy expert!"** Both boys shouted with surprise by the news.

"That's how I met her, you know," the 7-Dans enlightened them, "Back then she pointed out a fake Shusaku's Goban."

Bewildered, Yashiro gawked at her, "You are a big fan of Shusaku?" he asked in astonishment.

Hikaru simply gave him a weak smile in response. _This is not good. I must change the subject before they start asking any more questions. _"By the way, Touya-kun," she turned to query him, "What did Ko Yongha tell you before he left the stage?"

At that, Akira froze. He clenched his fists tightly, "I didn't understand what he said. He spoke in Korean."

"You studied Korean." she pointed out.

"I'm just a beginner." He replied, emotionless. "He spoke very fast. I couldn't catch what he said."

"I see, I see." Kurata nodded.

However, Hikaru doubted if he was completely honest with her. _But he doesn't have any reason to hide anything from me, does he? I'm thinking too much. _She cast off the idea of Akira lying to her and turned to talk to Yashiro, "Did you see a short boy who is always by Ko Yongha's side? That's Hong Suyong, your opponent." She notified him.

"Oh, so he is Hong Suyong." the white haired boy's eyes shone with excitement, "Is he any good?"

"He is good." she confirmed, "He even won against a 9-Dans." _Maybe I shouldn't have told him that. What if he freaks out? Damn it! Hikaru, you big mouth!_

"**A 9-Dans?" **Yashiro cried out, shocked, "But he's even younger than me! How did he have a chance to play with a 9-Dans anyway? He's just a 1-Dan like me!"

"Hey, hey, children, don't worry about the Korean team." Kurata cut in. "Right now, it's Chinese team, you have to worry about!" he reminded them. "Not that I want you to think too hard and not get enough sleep… well, don't worry too much, okay?"

"Hai." Once again, Akira was silent, not answering anyone.

"I almost forgot! Listen, Yashiro, you gotta be careful and……," While the fat manager continued his lecture, Hikaru studied Akira. He was lost in his trance again.

_This is not good. Whatever Ko Yongha said is bothering him. If things go on like this…_

"Touya!"

"**Touya!**" Both Akira and Hikaru jumped, it was Kurata, "Geez, are you listening to me? I'm telling you that Lu Lee's strong point is his middle-game."

"Understood." her rival nodded in acknowledgement.

But the 7-Dans didn't look impressed with his response, "What's wrong with you Touya?" he demanded. "Seems like you can't concentrate at all!"

"I…" Akira was about to say something but it seemed that the older pro didn't want to hear any excuse.

"This is bad, Touya. You let Ko Yongha play with your emotion." Kurata stated with a deep frown on his forehead.

It wasn't an accusation. It was a fact. Although Hikaru wanted to defend Akira, she couldn't. Deep in her heart, she secretly agreed with the manager.

"Listen, I know you're still thinking about Ko Yongha's challenge but you can't lose your concentration." Kurata lectured him.

"….Hai." Akira muttered, looking down at the floor.

Kurata slapped his laps. "Alright, I have decided!" He stood up and announced, "The current Touya Akira who loses his focus has no chance against Ko Yongha," he stated matter-of-factly, "If you lose to Lu Lee tomorrow, Hikaru-chan will be the first board against Korea." He declared decisively.

* * *

**Words:** 4533

**A/N:** This chapter took me 3 weeks, the reason? I had a long holidays and totally forgot to write it! Bad LittleNK! I hope you like the change from the original.

**Special thanks:** an old reader, Debbie and sany. Thank you :D

* * *

**kathy stgqvk:** Now you know how he react :)

**Maya:** Hurey! You're not going back to your "silent" mode! Thank you!

**an old reader:** _"Keep your beta"_ I have tried! Believe me!

**Lucy Fair:** This is entirely my fault. Akira has already known that it's Sai who taught Hikaru Go. Hikaru knew that he knew too. But don't forget that he didn't know that Sai was a ghost and that Sai was Shusaku. Hikaru doesn't want to talk about this. So, Hikaru chooses not to mention Sai again to avoid the subject and hope that Akira would forget about it. And she doesn't want Akira to mention Shusaku either, coz Shusaku's style reminds him of Sai (Modern Shusaku). Sorry for this confusion.

**forever:** Thank you! "Grinning from ear to ear" Thank you!


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go. Some quotations belong to onemanga/dot/com

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

/ BlahBlahBlah/ Sound effect

* * *

**Chapter 11: Japan vs China**

May 4th, the first day of the Hokuto Cup, in the game room

The hall, where the opening ceremony had taken place the day before, had already turned into a big observation room. Tables, which were laden with various dishes, had been replaced by hundreds of chairs. On the stage, the podium had been replaced by a very large board, with 19x19 lines, resembling a large Goban – which was ubiquitous at any Go Festival – standing at the center. On the left, there were three large screens.

However, Yashiro didn't head to the said room. He was going to a smaller room next to it instead. This room was where Gobans and seats for competitors were situated, and it was where his battle would begin.

He followed Kurata and his teammates into the game room, but he faltered the moment he stepped into the room. He had expected to see Gobans and chairs and nothing else, but the scene in front of him was nothing like he had dreamed of. The room, which was supposed to be for players only, was full of people. It was crowded, and everybody looked busy.

"Hey, is it okay?" Someone asked, while adjusting a TV camera.

"Move it to your right a little bit." Another guy shouted back in response.

"Kurata-san, please give me your list." The request came from the pro whom Yashiro recognized him as the 7-Dans who was in charge of the selection round .

/Snap Snap/ Many photographers were taking pictures of Chinese Team.

"Touya-kun, what is that?" Hikaru asked the team leader.

" It's a camera to capture the game. It'll relay the game back to the commentator in the main hall." Akira enlightened her, "Our game will be broadcasted in the internet as well."

"………." This news made both him and the girl nervous.

"………."

"Please don't tell me you're frightened by the camera." The first board said. His voice was emotionless and condescending.

" Me? Never." She answered back sharply.

" Good." Was all he replied. He went to his seat, leaving both of them behind.

Yashiro raised his eyebrow inquiringly. He had never heard Akira speaking to Hikaru in such an indifferent tone before. _Well, well, someone is definitely moody today_.

* * *

Hikaru frowned. How long had it been since the last time Akira had acted so cold towards her? _I remember… it's like when he scolded me when I joked that I wanted to play Go for money._ Akira was always kind to her. Sure, he often shouted at her during their post-game discussions; sure, sometimes he annoyed her by commenting that her clothes weren't proper for a lady – but he was always kind to her. Normally, he would have comforted her and tell her not to feel awkward because of the camera. Instead, he had given her a cold shoulder and treated her like a stranger. _He must be thinking about what Kurata-san said last night._ She sighed. _Baka-Kurata-san! I know you want him to focus on today's game but this is too much! Now he's __**way too**__ tense! Too frustrated! If he loses, I'm gonna blame it on you!_

"Shindou-san, let's go." Yashiro called her.

"Ha…Hai!" She responded and sprinted to her own table.

* * *

"If you lose to Lu Lee tomorrow, Hikaru-chan will be the first board against Korea." Kurata had announced to them last night.

_Does he really doubt my Go? I'll show him then!_ Akira thought as he took his seat. He heard the "clicking" sound from the cameras around him, their lights flashing brightly. _I'll show everyone my Go!_

* * *

In front of the game room,

To put it mildly, Yashiro was nervous. _How pathetic! Freaking out because of a camera!_ He grumbled in frustration. He knew that he needed to concentrate on the imminent match, not on the camera and the reporters, but he couldn't. He paced around like a rat in a cage until he saw a familiar figure in front of the observation room: Ochi Kousuke.

"You came here too?" He blurted out the question without thinking. Ochi only stared at him; the boy was indifferent and unfriendly as he had remembered. Then he entered the main hall without saying anything.

Yashiro sweat-dropped. Even though Ochi hadn't uttered a single word, he knew the meaning of the look on his face. _You'd better win… that's what he told me._

* * *

In front of the observation room,

"C'mon, Hirose-san!" Kitajima urged his friend.

"Easy, Kitajima-san." The bald man said with a gentle smile. "You are too excited."

"How can I not be?" the thin man spoke impatiently, "This tournament is the first international match for Little-Sensei and Hikaru-chan! Let's go! If we don't hurry up, all good seats in the front will be taken!"

* * *

In the game room,

With her eyes closed, Hikaru slowly breathed in and out like how Sai had taught her. A short meditation before the game _**did**_ help. _This is not the time to worry about others, Hikaru. Think about your own game first. Five, Four, Three, Two_

/Beeeep/ The signal rang. The Hokuto Cup Tournament had finally started for real.

_One!_ Her eyes snapped opened. _Show me what you've got, Wang Shi Chin!_

* * *

In the pressroom,

Kurata walked into a pressroom next to the game room. Just like the main observation hall, this room had three televisions to observe all three games at the same time. However, it was much quieter with more privacy since it was reserved only for reporters and those who had part in the tournament. He wasn't surprised at all to find that Yanghai and the entire Korean Team were already there. Unlike Yanghai, Kurata wanted his players (and himself) to sleep as much as they could. Yanghai and An Te-son, on the other hand, were morning persons; they probably forced their player to wake up since five in the morning to do some Yoga. Yanghai sat on the chair closest to the televisions while the Korean Team were seated at another table which had three Go boards on it.

He chose to sit down with the Chinese without any hesitation. Together, all of them watched the monitors as the games proceeded.

* * *

In the game room,

_He is good. No wonder why he is a 4 Dans… and he's only a year older than me._ Hikaru peered up to study her opponent. _But I won't let you win this game._

/Pachi/ She hit a stone on a board hard.

_Sai, I will show your Go to the world!_

* * *

In the pressroom,

An hour had passed since the game had started.

" Hmm, Shindou Hikaru is really good. She is beyond my expectations." Yanghai commented.

* * *

In the game room,

_I can't lose!_

/Pachi/ Yashiro vowed to himself as he slammed down his stone on a board. _If I do, how can I look at him in the face again?_ Ochi had given him a second chance and he had greedily taken it. He had stolen the boy's place therefore he had to win for his sake too!

* * *

In the pressroom,

"Yashiro isn't half bad either. Seems like I underestimated those two." Yanghai commented while rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Kurata agreed in silence. If truth be told, he hadn't anticipated both of them to be this strong. But then again, Shindou Hikaru did have a reputation for surprising people. Yashiro played well too. Whatever the reason was, it seemed that the boy had been able to pull himself together at the last minute.

_Hmmm, but Touya is a bit…_

"What an aggressive player! Touya Akira reminds me of his father." Yanghai remarked. It looked like he was very impressed by the said boy's performance. But Kurata, who knew Akira much better, frowned deeply. _Something isn't right._

"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" Another Higher-Dan from Korea snorted. Although Kurata didn't understand Korean, he knew it wasn't a compliment but an insult.

"Lu Lee! What the hell are you doing?" Yanghai exclaimed, slapping his forehead in desperation.

The Japanese pro studied the pattern of the game. Both boys were battling fiercely but his instinct warned him something was definitely wrong….

"C'mon! What are you thinking? What's with that sloppy hand?" The Chinese manager shook his head as he saw the big mistake his student had just done, " Now Touya-kun is gonna…. Eh?"

Lu Lee's move was reckless, bold but reckless nevertheless. By making that move, he had left the upper-left corner unprotected. Akira should have attacked him there to capture his Black stone to gain more territory.

Yet, the 3-Dans hadn't done that. He just kept on fighting against Lu Lee in the center of the board. It was unlike him to play this way. Of course, Akira was a fierce player just like his old man. However, he was careful. The normal Touya Akira Kurata knew would take advantage from his opponent's mistake to secure his triumph – he wouldn't let his opponent's stone survive. He wasn't _**that **_merciful. If the boy was a samurai, he could easily slice someone in half with a single stroke, he was that kind of guy. Besides, Lu Lee's error was obvious, there was no way he didn't notice it.

So, the question was what was happening with Touya Akira? How could he miss it? Why didn't he make the hand that would have likely led him to a victory?

_Arrz! Don't tell me that he's still thinking about last night! Man, I just wanna push him a bit, maybe I pushed him too much._

"Strange…" Yanghai mentioned in confusion, "Why didn't he attack the upper-left corner?"

_Don't ask me, I wanna know why too!_

"If he did, the entire left side would be his."

_I know! I know! You don't have to remind me that! _The fat 7-Dans wanted to scream at his friend's face. He didn't even notice that Kosemura and his journalist fellow had already entered the room to join them.

Unbeknownst to him, there was someone else who had sensed the change in Akira's style as well.

* * *

In the observation room,

"Hmm, is it just me or is Touya a bit different today?" Isumi asked. He was flanked by his two younger friends. _Yes, something is certainly different._

"You're thinking too much." Waya voiced indifferently.

"It's because you can't read the game as good as us," Ochi mocked, "I think you're right, Isumi-san. Touya is a bit aggressive than usual."

_Now why do I suddenly have a __bad feeling about this?_ The oldest boy said to himself.

"Well, I'm sorry then. Unlike someone I know, I am not so obsessed with the great Touya Akira that I would recognize his style."

_Not again…._ He let out a sigh in boredom.

"I am not obsessed with him!" Ochi retorted.

"Ha! You even…Ugh!" Waya exclaimed as Isumi put his hand over his mouth.

" Sheeew…Stop it, you two. Don't make a commotion." He gave a quiet order.

"But he started it first!" Waya whined.

_Really, how old are you? Six or sixteen?_

"Sheeeew." People around them muttered, each with a finger over their lips, gesturing them to be quiet.

"Sorry." Bowing his head, the red haired boy apologized in a whisper.

"Mada Mada Dane." Someone uttered. Isumi didn't need to think twice to figure out where that remark came from.

* * *

In the pressroom,

"Look," Yanghai spoke up, drawing attention. "Touya is losing the territory in the left side." He stated. At that, everyone observed the game seriously without further discussion.

* * *

In the game room,

_How could it be this way?_ Gritting his teeth, Akira clenched his fists tight_. How could I not see it? If I don't do anything, he will have the whole left side and I can't let that happen! I have to fight for it! _

* * *

In the observation room,

"Ahhh, this is another stubborn move by Touya Akira," Watanabe-7-Dans pointed out. He had supervised the selection round but, today, he was acting as a commentator on stage, "As you can see, he still doesn't give up."

"And what do you think about this game, Watanabe-Sensei?" Sano asked, "Can Touya-kun win?" Like those who don't know how to play Go, all she cared for was the result.

"Hmmm, it's hard to say right now." He hesitated, "However, I wonder why Touya-kun didn't give the territory on the left to Lu Lee since it's obvious there is no way to get it back. I think he should attack the opening at the bottom-right corner. It will be more effective this way."

"What about Shindou-san's game?" Sano questioned.

Heihachi straightened himself once he heard his granddaughter's name. To be honest, he had never dreamt that Hikaru would be interested in Go, let alone to be a Go pro. Unlike Masao and Mitsuko, who had been struck with confusion and became worried over her future, he had almost exploded with pride and happiness over the news of Hikaru becoming a pro. He had thought that the day Masako had accepted his marriage proposal would have been the happiest day in his life. That thought changed when Masao was born. He had never forgotten how he felt when he had first held baby-Masao in his arms; he was so small, a creature he and his beloved wife had created. Years had passed by and his son had become a man, found love, gotten married and had his own child. Heihachi felt as though he seen a déjà-vu of his own life.

_It's a circle of life._ He had thought.

Then Hikaru was born into this world. His granddaughter was adorable. She had behaved like a tomboy during her early age; however, she had grown up to be a charming lady like she was nowadays. Unlike, Masako and Mitsuko, he and Masao hadn't been comfortable with Hikaru's change. Hikaru getting prettier meant that she would, with no doubt, attract more boys. Just thinking about protecting his only granddaughter from those undeserving guys had given him a headache.

What if Hikaru dated a bad guy?

However, Hikaru had chosen the best… as expected from a member of the Shindous.

Hikaru has chosen Touya Akira.

Much to his complete surprise, the one who had brought him the news about Akira and Hikaru was Masao. One day, his son had dropped by his place. He had informed him that there was a suspicious boy (even though Masao had never met him before, he had called the Go prodigy "suspicious" anyway.) who had bewitched Hikaru and dragged her to a strange _**dark**_ world. The boy named Touya Akira had encouraged her to become a professional Go player.

Later Heihachi had pondered about it: Hikaru had begun playing Go when she had been in sixth grade, and according to Masao, she had met Akira around that time too. Did it mean she had started playing Go because of him? If it was true, he was in Akira's debt, for the boy had been able to persuade his granddaughter to play the game that Heihachi loved so much.

Watanabe turned to one of the televisions, "The Princess of Go certainly lives up to her name."

Heihachi didn't know about the future, but right here, right now, this was the happiest moment of his life.

* * *

In the game room,

_How could it turn out to be like this?_ Akira was shaking with fury. Lu Lee was controlling over the board. _What am I doing? If it goes on like this, if I can't turn the tide of the game, I will lose. No! I can't! If I do, Kurata-san won't allow me to play with Ko Yongha tomorrow!_

_Ko Yongha…Ko Yongha…Ko Yongha _

"Whoever wins get Shindou Hikaru." He had challenged him.

_How dare him! Shindou-san is not a toy to be tossed around like a ball! She's not a cheap reward in a gamble…she is…_

………………

……………_._

_What is she to me anyway?_

Hikaru's face suddenly popped up in his mind.

"Good luck" she had wished him before he had given his speech during the opening ceremony.

" I know many people have told you this," Last night, after Kurata had made a deal with him, Hikaru had told him before he had gone to bed, "But I am looking forward to see your game against Ko Yongha."

_It means she believes in me, doesn't it? Although Kurata doubts me, she still believes that I will win this game. _Akira smiled softly. _I wonder what she will say when she sees this game… She will reprimand me for sure. 'What a crappy game! What were you thinking? Oh, I know! The problem is you don't think!' something along this line._

_Shindou-san…._

_Never give up, never surrender…that's what your slogan is, isn't it?_

Akira narrowed his eyes. _Then I won't!_

/Pachi/ He attacked Lu Lee's stone.

* * *

In the pressroom,

_Good, good._ Kurata nodded as he saw Akira's latest hand.

"The real battle has just begun." His Chinese friend voiced out loud.

Kurata agreed wholeheartedly. _Yeah, it's just the beginning._

* * *

One hour later, in the observation room,

"Yashiro-kun performed well," Watanabe said to the crowd, "Too bad that he miscalculated during the Yose. Ah! The result is here." He quickly counted the stones, "White 12, Black 21. Zhao Shi wins by 3.5 moku."

" And Shindou-san's game?" Sano asked.

" This is Shindou-san's pro style," the middle aged man pointed out, " She likes confusing her opponent by playing odd hands. She places stones in strange places and she is well known for turning bad moves into good ones." He turned to the screen showing Hikaru's game, "Oh! Wang Shi Chin just resigns. Shindou-2-Dans from Japan wins."

At that, the crowd cheered.

" Father! Hikaru wins!" And so did Mitsuko.

Mitsuko had never gone to any Go festival before, and this was her first time. At first, she had expected it to be like a family sport festival, like the one she had joined when Hikaru had been in an elementary school. Even though her daughter was a pro, she still found it hard to believe that people could actually play a board game for a living. However…..

_Everyone seems so serious_. She thought as she scanned the room. Most of the audience was old people, but there was a group of young boys sitting not far from her. _They are around Hikaru's age, I wonder if they know her._ Among the spectators, there were some who had dressed like a businessman too.

They might be different in age and appearances but there was one thing they had in common: they treated Go as if it was a matter of life and death.

She knew nothing about Go but she knew Yashiro. When the commentator announced his loss, she truly felt sorry for the boy but she couldn't feel the same grief as the other Go fans did; Yashiro's loss, to her, was just a boy losing a game.

_Well, at least it's good to know that many people support my Hikaru._ She beamed proudly.

* * *

In the game room,

Hikaru let out a sigh of relief. _I did it, Sai. I did it. I showed the world how brilliant your Go is….. Touya-kun!_ She stood up hastily and rushed toward Akira's table.

* * *

_Damn it! I lost!_ Clearing the board, Yashiro grumbled in aggravation. _What about the others?_ He looked up and the expression on Hikaru's face told him that she had seized victory. He saw her dash towards Akira's direction, so he rose from his seat and followed her.

* * *

_What a stubborn guy! Just resign! _

/Pachi/ Lu Lee laid down his Black stone on the board.

How could he get himself in this situation? After Akira didn't strike him at the upper-left, Lu Lee had corrected his mistake, strengthened his stone and expanded his territory over the left side. He had taken an absolute control over the board until they had reached Chuban, Somewhere, along the game, Akira had managed to gain the bottom-right corner and the area at the center. His advantage was gone. Since then, they had been fighting fiercely. _We're somewhat even….no…I'm in the lead….even by a few moku.._

/Pachi/ To his regret, Akira didn't yield.

_Just resign already! You can't win!_

* * *

_Touya…._ Yashiro swallowed hard_. Don't tell me that you're gonna….__You will win._ Hikaru gazed at Akira with confidence. _I know you will._/Pachi/Lu Lee had played his hand.

* * *

From his move, Akira noted that he probably wanted to play defense rather than attacking him. It made sense, though. It was safer for Lu Lee this way. At this point, the 5-Dans didn't need to strike him, just protecting his stone would be enough to assure his victory.

_But I can't lose hope now. I have to continue fighting. The outcome of the match hasn't been settled yet. The game hasn't ended yet… _

_Never give up, never lose hope, Right, Shindou-san?_

"A good Go player should know when to resign, you know." Akira had once lectured Hikaru during one of their post-game discussions.

"It's not my style to quit." His rival had answered him.

"And what is your style exactly?" he had questioned with amusement, "Keep on fighting stubbornly even when you know you can't win?"

"Never give up, never lose hope." She had declared in a firm tone, " As long as there is a place to put down a stone, there is a chance to win. The game won't end until the last stone is laid down."

…_Until the last stone is laid down._

/Pachi/ Akira attacked Lu Lee's stone.

* * *

_Stay Cool, he's lost already. This is just a futile struggle._

/Pachi/

* * *

_Just little bit more_

/Pachi/

* * *

_A futile struggle…_

/Pachi/

* * *

…_I just need a little bit more…_

/Pachi/

* * *

_Damn it! He's broken down my defense!_

/Pachi/ The Chinese pro played his move hesitantly.

* * *

/Pachi/ Akira continued striking his opponent. _Just a few more moku…_

* * *

/Pachi/ _Just a… pointless struggle. _Lu Lee put down his stone. Without knowing, his hand was shaking.

* * *

/Pachi/

/Pachi/

/Pachi/

/Pachi/

Both players fought intensely in the Yose.

/Pachi/ Akira finally played his last move.

He and Lu Lee looked up from the board and started counting their stones.

"Black 34, White 29," a game recorder declared, "Including 5.5 moku, White wins by half a moku. Touya Akira is the winner."

"Half a moku." Akira whispered to himself quietly, "Half a moku."

* * *

_A win is a win but…_Hikaru held her gaze on Akira, who looked far from happy despite his victory. _By his standard…winning by half a moku is…_In the pressroom,

* * *

_Half a moku? _

"I gotta take my guys out of the room quickly, if not, they won't have time to recover their emotions." Yanghai stood up and groaned with annoyance, "Man, it was supposed to be an easy match for us."

"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" came a smooth voice from An Te-son's golden boy.

" Yongha!!" A short Korean player scolded him.

"What did he say?" Kurata inquired but none of the Koreans answered him. _My instinct tells me it's not a praise. _

" Lu Lee's flaw is more than obvious," Yanghai who spoke three languages told him, "The fact that he overlooked it means he isn't worthy to be on the same level as me."

Satisfied that someone had translated his words to Japanese, Yongha smirked and rose from his seat.

Kosemura marched towards him to block his way. Pointing at the boy's handsome face, the reporter declared angrily, "Don't you take him too lightly! If you do, you'll regret it!" Then he stormed out the room.

Ko Yongha didn't look offended by the rude gesture. He laughed instead. "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" He said before exiting the room in a much more gracious manner.

" What did he say?" Kurata asked Yanghai again.

"Sounds like everyone has confidence in the Prince of Go." The Chinese replied.

"…………." The overweight pro frowned. At this very moment, he, for one, had no confidence in the said Prince.

………

………

"Alright! I've decided!" he announced and went to the game room.

* * *

In the game room,

"Congratulations, Touya-kun, Hikaru-chan," Kosemura beamed, " You played really well too, Yashiro-kun, if only we had more time….,"

Neither of the boys replied. For Yashiro, it was understandable since he had lost. However, in Akira's case………..

"Thank you, Kosemura-san." Hikaru smiled in response, saying it on Akira's behalf as well.

" Hey! Boys!" Kurata greeted loudly as he entered the scene, " And Girl too!" he winked at her, "Everyone had worked hard, so let's eat!"

Hikaru couldn't help but chuckle. No matter how serious the situation was, Kurata still retained his cheerfulness.

"Oh, for tomorrow's game," Kurata brought it up, "Hikaru-chan will be the first board."

* * *

**Words:** 4168

**AN:** I end it here! I know! I'm evil! If you guys remember the Original anime, the one who are too depressed to play is Hikaru. I change it to Akira. However, a depressing and quitting Akira doesn't sound real to me. So, instead of making Akira depressed and lost, I made him too distracted to play for a while before coming to his sense and win at last. Hope you like it.

**Special Thanks :** sany, my hardworking beta.

* * *

**SECRET:** _"you are definitely improving"_ Thank you. My betas help me a lot too :)

**Maya:** Happy to know that you like it :)

**forever:** Thanks for you help! Don't work too hard!

**an old reader:** Thanks for your advice. I made some changes in the previous chapter pursuant to your suggestions.


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go. Some quotations belong to onemanga/dot/com

" Blahblahblah" character's dialogue

_BlahBlahBlah character's thought_

/ BlahBlahBlah/ Sound effect

* * *

**Chapter 12: Together with you**

In the game room,

"Oh, for tomorrow game," Kurata brought it up, "Hikaru-chan will be the first board."

"EHHH?" all but Akira exclaimed.

" But… but," she stammered in shock.

"Who else but Touya-kun can match against Ko Yongha?" Kosemura protested. "Oh! Err… Hikaru-chan, I didn't mean to… I'm not saying that you're weak or anything." he babbled.

" I know, Kosemura-san." Hikaru spoke calmly. Even if he thought that she was, too bad, she didn't care. She had a far more important thing to worry about.

_Touya-kun…_ She watched his face carefully. Akira hadn't uttered a single word since his game had ended. Yet, she knew that behind the emotionless mask he wore, he was very disappointed._ He's not mad at Kurata-san… he's mad at himself. _

"Didn't you say that you would let Touya be the first board if he wins?" Yashiro repeated the 7-Dans's promise.

" Did I? I forgot." The manager acted innocent. "Anyway, I have decided that Hikaru-chan will be the first board." He said it with a shrug, as if the change of decision meant nothing at all.

"Now let's go eat!" he announced happily, and rushed out of the room, running away from them.

"Kurata-san! Wait a min…" Hikaru called out, but it was too late – he had already left the game room.

"Shindou-san, don't." This was the first time Akira had spoken since his game had finished.

"But…" she protested.

He held his hand up, his eyes closed. " Just… don't."

Hikaru sighed. _Why are things turning out this way? Damn it!_

* * *

It was clear to Yashiro that Hikaru wished to argue with Kurata about his decision. She tried to do so many times but failed miserably since they were surrounded by god-knows-how-many-nosy reporters all the time – yes, even during lunch.

The rest of the day didn't go any better. After they had finished eating, she tried to ask him to reconsider. Once she opened her mouth, the emcee announced that the match between China and Korea was about to start, so they had no choice but to go to the pressroom to observe the game; it was always a great advantage to learn more about their opponents in advance.

And Akira?

Well, despite his foul mood, the boy was still polite (and diplomatic) enough to give those snooping reporters a short informal interview during lunch break.

While they were in the pressroom, Yashiro didn't pay much attention to their comments on Ko Yongha's game because he was too busy watching Hong Suyong's match. The boy was even better than the Chinese boy, whom he had faced the day before. In the end, the Korean Team managed to win all three games.

He noticed that Hikaru still tried to find a chance to talk to Kurata. But the same thing that had happened during lunch was repeated during dinner. Once again, they were encircled by reporters and sponsors. Everybody (except Hikaru and Akira) went on and on about how good Ko Yongha was since the said pro had practically _**crushed **_Lu Lee, the first player of Chinese Team, by forcing him to resign during the Chuban.

So the Prince of Baduk was strong, daring and merciless.

In short, Ko Yongha was indeed a very dangerous player… the kind of player that reminded Yashiro of Touya Akira, the monster who had beaten him at every single game of speed-Go that they had played during his sleepover at Hikaru's. He stole a glance at his friend. Normally, the Meijin's son was hard to understand, however, at this very moment, he could read his mind without difficulty. After all, whoever was in his place would feel the same.

If Yashiro had ever wanted to be Touya Akira, he didn't want to be him right now.

* * *

In front of Kurata's room,

_It's now or never._ Hikaru told herself. After the China-Korea match had ended, her team went up to Kurata's room to discuss the next game, like they had done for their game against Chinese Team.

Yashiro entered the room first, followed by Akira. The moment her rival stepped into the room, she shut the door, trapping both boys inside the room while she and Kurata was standing outside.

"Hikaru-chan?" Confusion was evident in Kurata's voice.

She turned around and stared straight into his eyes, "I want Touya-kun to play with Ko Yongha tomorrow." Her demand was short and clear.

" But..."

" I want Touya-kun to play with Ko Yongha tomorrow." She repeated, giving him her best serious expression.

……………..

……………..

He stared back at her, as if they were in a staring game. But what poor Kurata did not know was that she had played this game plenty of times before, with the Master of Poker Face (a.k.a. Akira) himself.

"I knew you would say something like this." Kurata said with a sigh. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Fine." he conceded.

"Good." She smiled triumphantly, before turning around to enter his bedroom._ Now I'm gonna face the furious Touya Akira…._

* * *

Room 615, Kurata's room

Yashiro was confused. They had been walking to Kurata's room and he and Akira had entered the room first. Then he had heard a "click" sound. He turned around and saw that the door had been shut, but two members of his team didn't enter the room with him. _Where is Shindou-san and Kurata-san? Didn't they follow us?_ Before he could ask any question, they came in.

Yashiro tilted his head and gave them a prying look but nobody said anything. While Hikaru and Akira each sat down on an armchair, Yashiro decided to stand, leaning back against a wall casually. After Kurata had sat down on his bed, he started his lecture, "So, about tomorrow… the Korean Team is tough but I believe we can win. Ko Yongha is good but he isn't perfect. He has a weakness. He…"

The man began to narrate the strengths and weaknesses of each Korean player. In the end, he announced, "So, tomorrow, Touya will play Ko Yongha, Hikaru-chan will…"

_Huh?_ Yashiro was taken back_. Did I hear that right? Didn't he just say this morning that Shindou-san will be the first board__? Did he change his mind again? Or is it because… _He looked back and forth between Hikaru, Kurata and Akira. Hikaru and Kurata acted like nothing had happened but Yashiro wasn't a fool – he knew something had definitely happened. _So does Touya_.

If Hikaru had been made of steel, she would have melted under Akira's burning glare by now. _He must have suspected something too._

"That's all for tonight." The manager instructed. "It's time for you kids to go to bed." he waved his hand, gesturing them to go back to their rooms.

…………………

………………….

Akira got up and left the room immediately without saying goodnight. Once he had shut the door, Yashiro asked aloud, "Is it okay with you?"

Hikaru was sharp enough to realize that the question was for her, "Why wouldn't I be?" she answered him with another question.

" Well, you've just lost the opportunity to be Japan's first board." he said it in plain words.

"This game is necessary for him." Hikaru said, "He needs this game to grow."

"Huh?" he was completely lost. _Grow?_

"To him, pressure has never been a problem." she explained, " He has always lived with expectations. If he hadn't learnt how to handle pressure, he would have been broken by now. He is always composed and focused." She spoke softly, with worries written on her pretty face, "But now, just a little push from Ko Yongha had made him lose his balance. He _knew_ that Ko Yongha did that on purpose, but, still, he couldn't control his anger."

_Hmm, I think I'm starting to see the point. _"What you are trying to say is that he knows how to handle stress but he doesn't know how to deal with anger?" he concluded, not entirely sure._ Who would have thought that Touya Akira has a low EQ?_

"Yes." Hikaru agreed. "That's why I want him to be the first board. He has to confront Ko Yongha and get over it." she explained.

"Okay, let me get this straight," Yashiro turned to ask Kurata, "You don't want Touya to play with that Korean tomorrow 'coz he's kinda facing an emotional crisis right now, right?" Kurata nodded in affirmation.

"But you want him to," he turned to Hikaru, "coz you consider this game to be some kind of … errr… anger management therapy for him?" She, too, nodded to confirm his theory. "… okayyyy… but… what if that Ko-something beat the hell up out of him? Won't he feel worse?"

"Then he will learn what will happen once he lets his emotions take control. I may not be his mentor but I understand him well and I'm really looking forward to his progress. No matter what the outcome is, he will take another step higher… both of us will, and we will get stronger after this tournament... and then we will play a better game…" she trailed off, a soft expression was on her face, "… a better game; one more step closer to a perfect game; one more step closer to the Hand of God."

Yashiro was flabbergasted. _Did she just say 'the Hand of God'? _

"I'm going back to my room now." Hikaru stood up and bowed to Kurata. " Thank you for letting him be the first board." With that, she went out the room.

The older pro whistled, " Touya is so lucky to have such an understanding girlfriend."

But Yashiro wasn't listening, he kept thinking about what she had said earlier. _All I think about is how to impress my folks, but they aim for the Hand of God… maybe that is the difference between them and me._

* * *

Meanwhile, in front of Hikaru's room

Akira's patience was wearing thin. He always had a peaceful life but things had happened _**way too much**_ in the past two days. He had been attacked by fury and irritation, causing his emotions to run high.

First, he had been challenged by Ko Yongha. Getting a challenge was nothing new to him; however, it was the boy's arrogance that annoyed him. Then the Korean had bet Hikaru on their game. His annoyance had changed into fury. _How dare he treat her like an object?_ He grumbled. Then Kurata had made a deal with him: he wouldn't let him be the first board unless he wins against Lu Lee. To sum it up, Kurata had doubted his ability.

All of these had been too much for his simple brain.

Angry at Ko Yongha's egotism.

Angry at Ko Yongha's rudeness.

Angry at Kurata's distrust.

Finally, he had lost it.

Yesterday was like a dream. He still wondered what had possessed him to play such a poor game. Luckily, he had been able to gather his senses in time and managed to beat Lu Lee by half a moku. He should have been satisfied with the result but he didn't feel that way. Then Kurata had chosen Hikaru to take over his position as the first board, despite him winning. At first, he had wanted to remind the man about his promise, but he had stopped himself from doing so. What was he thinking? Even he, himself, hadn't been pleased with his performance, so why in the world shouldKurata? Plus, as the manager of the Japanese Team, Kurata had a duty to choose the best for their team.

Even though he was disappointed, he had understood the reason behind the decision. So he had hidden his displeasure and accepted the manager's verdict without complaining like a whiny boy.

_It is the right thing to do. _He had comforted himself. He had felt better… even if it was just a little.

But Hikaru hadn't let it end like that. He didn't know what the blonde had told (or threatened) Kurata, but the 7-Dans had revoked his own words again for the second time, and made him the first board.

Now he was mad again.

He had been waiting for Hikaru to leave Kurata's room, and after waiting for a short while, she exited the room.

"We have to talk." was all he said.

* * *

Hikaru wasn't surprised at all when she saw Akira standing in front of her room, looking grouchy.

Hikaru pretended not to see him, as though he was made of air, and walked past him, reaching out for the doorknob. Before she could open the door, Akira hastily grabbed her hand and slammed her against the closed door. She glanced at his arms hesitatingly; with his hands on the door over her shoulders, he had managed to trap her with his body.

_Isn't this the scene where a female protagonist gets her first kiss with her sweetheart?_ She thought, her heart beating fast.

However, judging from the glare that Akira was giving her, kissing her was the least likely thing he would ever do. _Kiss? Ha! As if that's gonna happen. Hikaru, he's going to kill you, not kiss you. __Be cool, Hikaru, be cool. You gotta get out of this. _

"Why?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes.

"Why what?" she stepped back, feeling the coolness of the door on her back. There was no escape in the beginning, she should have known.

"You know what I mean." It seemed that Akira wasn't in the mood to take a joke. "I don't want your pity." he spoke dryly.

_This is so typical of him!_ _Couldn't he just thank me like normal people? _"Pity? Pity for _**you**_?" she snorted_. _"You, the 3-Dans who haven't lost a single game since you became a pro; who is also competing in the Honinbo league; who is believed to be the hope of Japan? Yeah, right, your life sucks. I pity you. "

Sarcasm weighed heavily in every syllable. Akira didn't say anything back in response. Hikaru let out a sigh; she didn't want this silent game to continue any longer, especially when they were in this awkward position.

"Ko Yongha bothers you." It wasn't a guess but an obvious fact; Akira, himself, didn't bother to deny it. "Still, you want to play against him tomorrow. It's just so… you… such a Touya Akira thing to do. You don't turn away from a problem, you face it. I know. I know you better than anyone else, including yourself." They stared into each other's eyes, never once did their gaze flicker elsewhere.

"So I asked Kurata-san to let you be the first board. Now, you tell me if it's a crime to help your friend?" Again, there was no answer from Akira. He averted his eyes to the other direction, breaking the eye contact, before taking a few steps back. She waited for a few moments but he still stayed silent. He looked down at the carpeted floor, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"I have something to confess." she waited for a reaction, but there was none. "What I said earlier is not entirely true."

His head immediately snapped up and he gave her a questioning look. Now, she had all his attention. "I didn't just orchestrate the whole thing for you alone… I did it for myself too." she paused, knowing that he was dying to hear the rest of it. _Oh my god, this is fun._

"I am looking forward to see your game against him; I told you that before, didn't I?" she smirked, turning on her 'sassy mode'.

It took Akira a moment to figure out what she meant to say. Once he got it, he raised his eyebrows in amusement. He leaned against a wall, his arms folded on his chest.

"It's my honor to be here for your entertainment." he spoke with mock politeness.

_Good, he feels better now. Geez, what a tense conversation we had! God, I'm so tired._ She rubbed her temples, "You're giving me a headache; I'm going to bed now." she turned around, opened the door and stepped into her room.

"Can I ask you one last question?" Akira inquired her from behind.

* * *

May 5th, Seven Star's dining hall

Kurata was worried.

He was worried about Touya Akira. Contrary to his players' beliefs, the reason he didn't let Akira be the first board wasn't because he cared about the result. He cared neither the score nor the prize money; he just cared for Akira. The boy was strong, but he was having a mental breakdown right now. Kurata just didn't want him to get slaughtered by Ko Yongha; he simply wanted to protect him. That's why he had chosen Hikaru instead. It was a logical judgment. However, Hikaru had been anything but co-operative: she had confronted him, demanding him to appoint the first board back to Akira. Although he wasn't that close to her, he knew her well enough to know what she would do if he had said no to her. She would do something outrageous, like, refusing to play, causing their team to lose by forfeit. He had no choice but to say yes.

He sighed. Judging from last night, Akira was still losing his momentum. What if Ko Yongha sliced him into half? How well could Akira would cope with that?

Kurata Atsushi was worried.

He lost his appetite (which had never happened to him before). Somehow, his breakfast tasted like rotten meat.

"Good morning, Kurata-san." Akira greeted him. Apparently, Kurata had been so lost in his thoughts that that he didn't notice his players.

"Oh! Touya!" he exclaimed, " Hikaru-chan, and Yashiro too!"

"Morning, Kurata-san." Hikaru and Yashiro said in unison, as they sat down opposite him.

"Do you always eat this much?" Hikaru asked the third board. His plate was full of various foods: bacon, omelet, sausages and several pieces of pancake.

"I can't help it! I'm hungry!" Yashiro said defensively.

"When aren't you hungry anyway?" she remarked.

Kurata didn't fail to see Akira sniggering at her sharp comment.

_Hmmm, the tense air around him has disappeared. _He noted as he watched the future-Meijin praising the girl for dressing properly _for once_.

His food had somehow gotten a lot tastier.

Kurata Atsushi wasn't worried anymore.

_Just wait An Te-Son! My players are gonna __**crush**__ yours!_

* * *

Yashiro was puzzled. Last night Akira had been very tensed… and furious too. It hadn't been unforeseen though, considering how proud the guy was; Hikaru's action surely had injured his dignity. However, the Akira he met this morning was completely different from the Akira he had seen last night. He was more relaxed… and obviously not angry anymore.

Yashiro saw Hikaru take several pieces of sliced tomato from her salad bowl and put them into Akira's. The black-haired pro lectured her on how nutritious tomatoes were but he ate them for her nevertheless. _Maybe I should find myself a girlfriend. _He mused as he watched Akira eating those tomatoes.

* * *

In front of the observation room,

Togari Takeshi, the marketing director of Hokuto Communication Public Company Limited, stood in front of the main hall watching people who came to see the tournament. His assistant, Isawa, was greeting them and handing them brochures.

The first group had two middle-aged men. The first one was skinny and tall and the other was a bald guy with glasses.

"Yesterday we won two games." the tall one smiled with pleasure. "As expected from Little-Sensei and Hikaru-Chan." he turned to his friend and scolded him, "I can't believe you fell asleep, Hirose-san!"

"Haha, sorry, sorry." the hairless man laughed timidly, rubbing his head in embarrassment.

Their conversation made him wonder. _Who is Little-Sensei?_

The second group was a bunch of teenagers. Togari remembered them, they came yesterday as well. In the room, which was full of men over 35 years old, four teenagers did stand out.

There was a good-looking young man, a red-haired punk, a short boy in an expensive suit with thick glasses and a nerd. They looked nothing alike, however, it appeared that they all liked Go. _Those guys from Go Association must be very happy to know that we're able to draw attention from young people too._

Two foreigners came as the third party. From Togari's working experience, he could tell that they were Koreans. It seemed that one of them was a teacher as he heard another man call him, "Yun-Sensei".

"Too bad that Hikaru-chan is the second board," A grumpy complaint rang out.

Togari turned towards the owner of the voice. The man with a goatee and sunglasses pouted, "Touya Akira almost lost; he just got lucky to win by half a moku. Compare that to Hikaru-chan, who won by three and half moku, she should be the first board, don't you think so, Doumoto-san?"

"Shuuu..," the man named Doumoto whispered, "Be careful, Kawai-san." he looked around to make sure no one had heard them, "Touya Akira has a lot of fans, they might hear you."

"Ha! As if I care!" The cranky guy snorted.

_What a loud man… hmm…_Togari glanced down at his watch. _It's time._ He went off to join the rest of his colleagues in the main hall.

Once he was there, he scanned around and found that the number of the spectators was more than hehad anticipated. He smiled in satisfaction, glad that his campaign was successful. He then spotted his associates at the other side of the room so he walked towards them. While he was walking past the audience, he heard one of them say, "Ne, ne, Tsutsui, you gotta introduce me to Hikaru-chan, okay?"

* * *

In the game room,

Akira stood not far from his table, looking at a Goban. The match between him and Ko Yongha would start soon.

"Nervous to take my place?" Hikaru questioned him with a mischievous grin.

"Me? Nervous? Never." came his instant answer

"Good."

Hearing her voice brought him back the memory of last night.

……………………..Flashback started…………………………………………………

"Can I ask you one last question?" Akira cried out before she could close her bedroom door, "Between Ko Yongha and I, who do you think will win the game?"

"What a stupid question." shaking her head, she muttered and turned her back towards him.

"Shindou!" he shouted.

She stopped, looked over her shoulder and gave him a haughty look, "As far as I'm concerned, I've never granted the right to slaughter you to anyone else."

At that, she went into her room, leaving Akira alone.

……………………Flashback ended…………………………………………………

_Cheeky girl…_ He chortled. _Hmm? What is it?_ Hikaru was gesturing him to look behind. He turned around, and Ko Yongha was there, smirking at him. _What an annoying guy._

"Ne, Shindou-san."

"Yes?"

"Enjoy the show." He told her with a small smile. She chuckled quietly and headed towards her seat. "Oh, one more thing, Shindou-san." he called before she was out of hearing.

"Hmm?"

"As far as I'm concerned, I, too, have never granted the right to slaughter you to anyone else either."

* * *

2 hours and 30 minutes later, in the game room

_He's good. The rumor isn't exaggerated at all_. Akira noted silentlyas he observed the Goban. The game progressed fiercely. Ko Yongha's moves were as sharp as a blade but Akira didn't intend to back down either.

/Pachi/ He gasped as Yongha played his turn.

_This hand... he made a cut there?_

* * *

_Now, let's see what you're gonna do next,_ thought Yongha. _My __move may seem reckless, but, if you are as good as people claim you to be then you should be able to see my true intention behind__ it._

* * *

The Prince of Go happened to be _that_ good. _I should capture his weak stone in the upper-left but if I don't defend the bottom-left corner... What if I continue my attack in the bottom-right? No, then I will lose a chance to gain the upper-left territory and I'll leave the bottom-left vulnerable... _He looked up from the game.

Yongha's eyes didn't waver from the board, and there was no hesitation on his face – there was only determination in his eyes.

_This hand looks wild but actually it is well planned. Not bad, not bad at all… Well, why don't we make this game a little bit more… interesting?_

/Pachi/ he slammed down his black stone. _If you want the bottom-left corner so much then take it! I give it to you!_

* * *

Yongha studied Akira's move. _So he keeps on hitting me in the bottom-right instead of the upper-left, leaving the bottom-left unguarded? It's like he wants me to strike him there… Ahhhh, I see. This is a challenge then. _His lips lifted into a smirk_. You're telling me that you can win even if I have this territory, aren't you? What a cocky boy! ...Then, how about this!_

/Pachi/ Yongha confronted Akira's attack.

* * *

_Hmm, Yongha is playing more aggressive than usual._ An Te-son remarked in silence. _His current Go reminds me of Im Irufan._ He diverted his attention to the said boy's game_. Im Irufan, you're always a forceful player._ He watched the monitor, and he could see that his student's hand was shaking slightly. _Shindou Hikaru's specialty is manipulation. This is why she's your greatest enemy!_

* * *

_His attack is fierce and straightforward. _Hikaru peeked up to study her opponent's face. _It shows what kind of man he is__**;**__ Go is the game that reveals one's soul after all._ However, his hard-hitting style couldn't intimidate her because she had played against a guy who was much more aggressive than him numerous times before.

Im Irufan was strong but he was nothing compared to her eternal rival, Touya Akira.

* * *

In the observation room,

"Impressive," a man sitting next to Yoshinori said, "Touya-kun is really impressive as always; Hikaru-chan too…"

Yashiro Yoshinori frowned. He didn't understand what all the fuss was all about. It was just a game, a childish board game. From his point of view, the idea of watching players taking turn to put their stone on the board was certainly _**not **_impressive. He didn't like Go**;** he had no interest in Go.

The same man continued his comment, "… And that Yashiro boy from Kansai, I can't believe he's just passed the Pro exam."

Okay, maybe, Yoshinori was interested in Go a bit.

He was proud to hear that… he meant it. Still, he couldn't see the beauty of the game like other people in the audience could. He checked his watch. _I'd better get back._ He rose and departed the room.

"Isn't that Kiyoharu's father?" a man around his age with glasses exclaimed.

Yoshinori halted and turned back. This man did look familiar; he had definitely met him before. "Kiyoharu's sensei?" he remembered at last.

"So you remember! I'm really glad!" the Go pro beamed with pleasure. "You came all the way here from Osaka to watch your son play? I'm sure that Kiyoharu will be happy to know this!" he seemed as if he was about to explode in excitement.

"Actually, I'm here for my business meeting, and I just decided to drop by for a short while." Yoshinari informed him.

"Why don't we go inside and watch the game together?" his son's mentor invited him with a smile.

"Thank you but I have to return to my hotel now." he declined coldly.

"Do... do you still disapprove of Kiyoharu being a Go pro?" the Sensei asked sadly.

_He makes it sound like I am a bad father for not supporting my son._ His son might look like a stupid punk but he was a good kid... and very clever too. Yashinori knew that – a father always knows his son. This was the reason why he didn't want him to become a Go pro; his son could do much better than be a star in a dying world.

"What do you think of the future of the Go World?" he questioned.

"Eh?"

"Only few people play Go. Take Kiyoharu as an example; he has no friend who knows how to play the game... the Go world is going down." he stated seriously.

"Well… errr…"

"Every father wants his son to have a good life. Excuse me." with that, he ended the conversation, and walked away, leaving the Kansai pro behind.

On his way to the lobby, a man around his age walked past him. Judging from the direction the man was heading, it seemed that the observation room was his destination. Yoshinori didn't think he was just another ordinary spectator, for that man had a rare intimidating aura around him.

* * *

"Akira…." Kouyo uttered. He had expected Akira to be the first board; there was no surprise about it. However, the way his son was playing surprised him.

He requested a receptionist to lead him to the pressroom.

Of course, he could have just observe the game in the main hall, like the rest of the audience, but he always thought better when he had a real Goban in front of him. At first, the receptionist hesitated but in the end, she reluctantly guided him there.

Everyone was surprised to see him as they had expected him to be in China. He greeted them and took a seat opposite to Kurata's. He examined the board before him, since they were recreating Akira's game.

"What do you think of this game, Sensei?" Kurata asked for his opinion.

"It's too soon to say anything." he replied without looking up, his eyes still fixed at the board. "However, this move," he pointed at Akira's black stone in the bottom-right, "This move is interesting. Instead of playing defense, Akira continues his attack. It's as if he wants to challenge Ko Yongha. Akira rarely plays like this." he analyzed. A father always knows his son's heart.

"His hostility towards Ko Yongha is driving him to play this way." Kurata voiced out. "He shouldn't have insulted Touya in the first place." he made a face at his rival, An Te-son.

"Hostility? Insult?" Kouyo repeated, confused.

* * *

_I'm not going to lose! I'm going to beat you! Then after that… get lost! Don't ever come back!_

/Pachi/ Akira fought Yongha's strike bravely.

* * *

Yongha smirked. _Good move but don't think that I will let you win. This game is mine._

/Pachi/

* * *

"No! No! It's not like that!" an unfamiliar man exclaimed. _He must be one of Korean officers._ Kouyo guessed.

"**Of course it is!"** a short man shouted heatedly. Kouyo remembered, he was a reporter from Go Weekly. "That Ko Yongha was so rude! And we're in the middle of the party!"

He was lost. What was going on?

"It's nothing serious, Touya-Sensei." Yanghai, who he had met several times during his visit to China, chimed in. " It's just a kid's fight."

* * *

_He's good. A worthy opponent. Too bad that he's too arrogant for his own good. If not, he would be a respectable player, and we could be friends._ Akira thought.

* * *

_So he is another player around my age with the same strength, someone whom Touya-Sensei told me about._

/Pachi/ Yongha played his turn. _Let's see who is the strongest then! Show me what you've got!_

* * *

" I see." Kouyo nodded. Yanghai was a reliable man, and if he said so, then Kouyo believed him.

"What do you think about the other two games?" Kurata changed the topic.

He studied the Goban that displayed Yashiro's match. It was a good game, and he could see passion in it. Both players played their best, and The Kansai young star did well but… "As you can see… it's too bad… there's nothing he can do now." The boy would lose… by three and a half moku to be precise.

Then he took a look at the other board that showed Hikaru's game, "It's only a matter of time." he muttered.

* * *

_Damn it! This is what she's been planning all along!_ Im Irufan cursed in silence.

Once again, Shindou Hikaru created a miracle. Somehow her bad move turned into a good one. She had tricked him, and he had been stupid enough to take the bait without hesitation. Now, he was trapped.

_I have to do something. There must be a way out!_

* * *

_Sorry boy, there is no way out! Your stones are dying… I win._ Hikaru smiled evilly as she studied the board.

* * *

"Seems that the only game that remains undecided is the game between Touya-kun and Ko Yongha." Yanghai declared.

"Who you do think will win?" the Japanese journalist asked him nervously.

"I think Akira will win." he replied with a serene tone, "My son won't let himself lose to the boy he's having a fight with."

"Oh! Yashiro's game has ended already," Kurata spoke up, "Man, he lost. That sucks. I'd better go check on him." He got up and rushed out of the pressroom.

"xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" An Teson said something to his translator, then everyone followed Kurata in a hurry.

After they went off to the game room, the room was almost empty, and only Kouyo and Yanghai remained there.

…………

…………

"What are you thinking about, Touya-Sensei?" the Chinese pro questioned after seeing him stare at Akira's game without saying a word for a while.

"I wonder if these kids know how lucky they are." Kouyo smiled sadly.

"Lucky?"

"It's such a bliss to meet a rival at an early age." he spoke in a sad tone.

"… Sensei, are you talking about Sai?" Yanghai queried.

Kouyo didn't answer the question.

* * *

_Damn it! I lost again._ Gritting his teeth, Yashiro scolded himself bitterly. _Who would have thought that my first international match would end up with straight defeats? _

He frowned. Kurata was still babbling, saying how good he was. _But that doesn't matter, does it? I lost. _

_Stop it, Kiyoharu! Crying over a loss __doesn't suit you! _He shook his head violently to shake off his depression. _Think about something else!! Hey! What about Shindou-san and Touya?_

He looked up, and Hikaru's eyes met him. From the way she beamed at him, he knew she had won… again. _Two winnings, Shindou-san? Good, unlike me…_ He saw her dash to Akira's table. He smiled at that as he remembered seeing this scene when Akira had played with Lu Lee yesterday morning_. What is it called again… a de…dema…dema-ju?_ Then he slowly stood up and joined her at Akira's table. _Let's see how Touya is doing…_

_!! This game… _He gasped.

* * *

_There is only one Prince of Go! _

/Pachi/ Yongha hit his stone against the board.

_And it's me! Just get lost!_

* * *

_If you think I'll give in, you're mistaken! This game is not over yet!_

/Pachi/ Akira made his move and sent a threatening glare at the Prince of Baduk.

* * *

_Touya wins the fight over the bottom-left territory. _Yashiro marked in silence.

* * *

_But Ko Yongha manages to straighten his weak stone in the upper-right and seize Touya-kun's stone in the bottom-left._ Hikaru who stood behind the 3-Dans quickly studied the pattern of the stones.

* * *

_But Touya doesn't let him be a sitting duck either. He takes this chance to spread out his stones in the middle of the board. _Yashiro stared at the board without blinking._ Whoever gets the upper-right corner will win this game.__Here! _

* * *

/Pachi/ Yongha made a move to cut Akira's stone.

* * *

_As if I will let you do it!_

/Pachi/ The younger pro defended his territory with a counter attack.

* * *

_Good decision, but not good enough!_

/Pachi/ Yongha struck again.

* * *

_Then I'll hit you here!_

/Pachi/ Akira won't allow just one side to attack either.

* * *

Yashiro took a deep breath. _What a fierce game! Neither of them have let the other have the tiniest advantage.__The game is in the Yose now. _Hikaru noted. _There is no place left to put down the stone much, it'll end soon._

/Pachi/

/Pachi/

/Pachi/

/Pachi/

/Pachi/

/Pachi/

The last stone was placed down on the board. Finally, the match has ended.

Both competitors looked up from the game. They stared at each other for a few seconds before looking down and counting their stones.

Then there was silence.

It was a short moment but tense nevertheless. Everybody in the game room held their breath without realization.

"Half a moku…" someone said, "Ko Yongha wins by half a moku." he announced.

Then hell broke loose.

How in the world did Touya Akira, the hope of Japan, the Prince of Go, had been defeated?

If his opponent hadn't been Ko Yongha, Akira would have thought this result to be strangely amusing, because he had won against Lu Lee by half a moku.

But when he had lost to the said boy, he didn't find it amusing at all.

With his head hung down, Akira clenched his fists tightly. The Korean pro was overconfident, he was rude, and he irritated him to no end.

_I just wanted to teach him a lesson. I went all out but he fought back fearlessly and I lost! Only half a moku! Half a moku! Damn it!_

* * *

Hikaru couldn't see Akira's face but she didn't need too. His trembling body told her everything she wanted to know. Once again, Akira's Go had disappointed him.

_He looks like when Sai massacred him. I don't want to see him like that again._

Forgetting that the room was full with officers, reporters and players from other teams, she gently placed her hands on Akira's tense shoulders, then wrapped her arms around him, hugging him from behind.

* * *

Akira's body froze the moment he felt something soft and warm, like someone's arms, embracing him from behind. Then he sensed a familiar scent, his favorite fragrance – a lavender perfume. He recognized that scent. "Shindou-san?"

"It's okay." Hikaru whispered into his ear. Her hot breath tickled his neck, sending a shiver running through him. "It's not the end."

_!!_

"This is not the end."

_!!_

Akira smiled and squeezed her hand lightly. _Thank you, Shindou-san._ He couldn't help but wonder what she would say if she knew what was on his mind at that moment. He had completely forgotten about his loss, and to be honest, he couldn't even think straight. A strange and unexpected warm-hearted sensation started gathering inside him. However, he decided it was wiser to keep this secret to himself… at least until the day he figured out what this feeling was.

"Ne, it's time for the closing ceremony." he spoke in a low tone, just for her to hear it.

Hikaru released him, "That's right! Let's go party!" Grinning, she offered him a hand.

Taking her hand, Akira chuckled. _Only Shindou-san thinks that chatting with Go pros and sponsors is a party._

* * *

Yongha felt as if he was watching a romantic movie. There was the depressed husband who couldn't succeed in anything in his pathetic life (starring Touya Akira) and an understanding and encouraging wife (starring Shindou Hikaru). The weak husband was sitting on a chair, crying over his useless life, when the pretty wife came and gave him a hug. She said soothing words to him, cheering him up, and easing his pain. The husband smiled as if he was the luckiest man in the world – as if his terrifying endless nightmare had disappeared with her presence.

Then he saw Akira placing his hand over Hikaru, and the 3-Dans spoke to her in a whisper, causing the blonde to beam happily. Then she shouted something in Japanese; Yongha didn't know the language but he managed to catch the word "Party".

_So the Princess had chosen her prince from the start. She falls for the wrong one, oh, what a shame – I'm so much better_. He sniggered, combing his hair with his fingers.

_Poor Suyong. Well, first love always has a sad ending; take it as a lesson, boy. _

* * *

_Good. He isn't sad anymore._ Hikaru, who was still oblivious from the shocked looks from everyone who had just witnessed her little display of affection, smiled contentedly. She was about to join Akira, who was standing at the exit, when she heard someone calling her.

"Shindou-san," it was Yongha, " xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

_?? Eh? You called me?_

"He… he says now you realize who is the stronger Go player." Suyong translated it into Japanese for her. His voice was a bit shaky, as if he had to gather all of his strength in that small body of his in order to speak to her.

In Hikaru's opinion, he looked surprisingly disappointed and… heartbroken for a successful fourteen years old pro who had just won both matches in the overseas tournament. _Still, it doesn't matter right now. What really matter is…_

She stared into Yongha's brown eyes and stated, "Touya-kun from tomorrow would never play this fierce. Today, Touya-kun may lose to you, but tomorrow, Touya-kun will win for sure." She declared with sheer confidence, "Thanks to you, Ko Yongha-san, Touya-kun has taken another step higher now." Then she turned around and ran towards Akira, who was waiting for her at the door.

_That's right. We've gotten better now… I will reach the hand of God… together with you…_ "Touya-kunnnnnn."

**End**

* * *

**Words:** 6922 (20 pages in Ms word!)

**A/N:** Sniff..Sniff. Finally! It ends! Thank you all readers for your patience and your support. Thank you for these 12 weeks. I hope you like the ending and don't forget to read "Behind the scene" too :D

**Special thanks:** Sany

**Dear all silent readers**, since this is the last chapter, please review. I just wanna know that you're still here.

Yongha's Go is so difficult for me. First, I don't play Go. Second, I have no idea what Yongha's style is. So I combine Hikaru's tricky style with Akira's powerful style, voila! I got Yongha's Go!

You can see that Akira doesn't think about Hikaru during this game, he has done enough thinking of her during his game with Lu Lee. I think it wouldn't be like him to get distracted twice. Plus, he did think of her before the game. So there, I made him completely focused on the game ( but he lost anyway, poor boy.)

About the bet? Well, my Yongha isn't really interested in Hikaru. First, he just met her. Second, he knew Suyong liked her …a lot. He just used the bet to anger Akira.

* * *

**Chibura:** I hope you like Yongha-Akira battle J

**Katsakura:** School…ahhh…poor you. Homework,exam, reports….I remember those day.

**an old reader :** thank you J Hope you like the ending J

**S-E-C-R-E-T:** Here an update. Too bad, it's the last chapter J

**R:** This fic is a drama fic. It's quite dramatic, I admit.

**kathy stgqvk :** _"real torture starts__"_ Haha, good luck then J


	14. Behind the scene

Behind the scene

**Behind the scene**

Kosemura: Hello everyone, you're watching "Behind the scene" with me, Kosemura. Let's not waste our time! Please welcome our guests! Super Go Juniors from our favorite series!

(Akira, Hikaru, Yashiro, Waya, Isumi, Ochi, Honda, Suyong and Yongha went on the stage and sat down.)

/ Fangirls screamed/ Akira and Yongha smiled at them. Ochi nodded indifferently. The rest grinned wildly while waving at their fans.

Kosemura: Let's get started. I'm sure that everyone wants to ask you guys this question. Where have you been for the past 2 years?

Isumi: Let me answer this one. As LittleNK said before. She has been very busy. She's really sorry to keep you wait this long. (Giving a brotherly smile to a camera)

Akira:However, I heard a rumor said that it's because an not-to-be-named Korean actor asked too much payment, so they spent a lot of time negotiating causing the delay.

Hikaru:Touya!

Suyong:(Cursing under his breathe) Damn it, how did he know?

Kosemura: Errrr... Next, it seems that her writing style has changed.

Waya: **Yeah!** We (Mainly Waya himself) threatened her if she doesn't give us more roles to play, we're not gonna work with her anymore.

…………..

…………..

Kosemura: Haha (Laughing awkwardly) I see. I heard that LittleNK had hard time writing about you guys, supporting characters. Is that true?

Waya: **Hey! Don't call me "Supporting Characters"!**

Isumi: Waya!

Ochi: It's true.

Kosemura: Oh? It is?

Ochi: Yeah, take Honda-san for example. LittleNK thought about his scene for 3 days.

Kosemura: 3 days? Really? But Honda-Kun's scene isn't that long. Oh, I'm sorry, Honda-kun.

Honda:It's o…

Ochi: Nah, it's ok. You see, since Honda-san has never played a major role before. We know little about him. LittleNK spent 3 days thinking about those 300 words about him.(Adjusting his glasses)

Waya: Hey! It's not Honda-san's fault!

Honda:It's not that I was the only one who gave her a hard time! That chapter about Isumi-san took 2 days. If I remember correctly, she spent 2 days thinking about you too!

Kosemura: So, it's true that writing about you guys is even harder than writing about Touya-kun or Shindou-kun?

Akira: To LittleNK, yes. Writing from supporting characters' POV is hard because, unlike the leading characters, the original Manga/Anime doesn't give much information about them. She doesn't know about them, she doesn't know how they feel. So, it's hard to write.

Kosemura: Such a good answer, as expect from Touya Akira! (Akira smiled softly, getting a cheer from fangirls)

Kosemura: So, how long have you guys been working on this fic?

Hikaru: About 6 months

Kosemura: **Half a year?!**

Hikaru: Yeah, LittleNK started thinking about the rough plot in January. She actually started writing in February. Since she was busy, it took her about 12 days to write one chapter. Then she had to revise and send it to her beta.

Kosemura: I see. I notice that there's not much romance in this fic.

Hikaru: Even though I dress up as a girl in this fic, it doesn't mean that I'm gay, you know.

Akira: **Shindou!**

Waya: **Ha!** I bet it's because LittleNK spent too much time reading those mysterious novels. How could she write about romance when she kept reading novels that were full of blood, corpses and death anyway?

Isumi: **Waya!**

Yashiro: I'll answer this question since everyone is busy telling off each other.

Kosemura: Oh, thank you Yashiro-kun. I have to tell you that many fans have been waiting for you.

Yashiro: Thank you. You see, LittleNK didn't plan this fic to be a romantic one. Anyway we still got a glimpse on how well Touya and Shindou knew each other and how Akira has a crush on Shindou without knowing from _**my **_POV. Actually, she planed it to be a humor fic but somehow it turns out to be…errr…drama? Hell, I don't know. Let's say that it turns out the way it is. ( Shrugging) But I like it anyway.

Kosemura: I see. So, when the next fic will come out?

Hikaru: Honestly?

Kosemura: Yup

The boys: We don't know.

Kosemura: Eh? What about Ko-Yongha fic?

Akira: Why don't you ask him yourself?

Kosemura: Oh, right? Ko-Yongha-kun, what happen to your fic? Isn't it supposed to be LittleNK's next fic?

Yongha: There's some difficulties

Kosemura: Eh? What is it?

Akira: Apparently, someone asks too much for payment.

Yongha (Glaring at Akira): Touya-san is just kidding. Unlike a son of a respectful title-

holder I know, I would never do anything like that.

Suyong;Yongha!

Akira: What? How dare you!

Hikaru:Touya!

Kosemura: Errr. What happened then?

Yongha: You see, at first, LittleNK decided that my series would have 3 parts. Then hesitated. She wasn't sure if there should be the 4th part or not. She's just decided a few days ago that there would be 3 parts. So it would take her a while before posting my new fic.

Suyong: Speaking of it, lately she is really into a crossover, isn't she?

Akira: Oh, thank you, Suyong-kun for reminding me this. (Turning to a camera) LittleNK has been thinking of writing a crossover but she hasn't decided which Manga/Anime or books she should mix with HNG yet. So if you have any suggestion, please give her some idea.

Kosemura: So, anything else to say to your fans?

Akira: First of all, we apologize for the time we kept you waiting for us. (Talking to a camera on the right) We thank you for your patience.

Hikaru: Thank you for reading this fic. (Turning to a camera on the left)

Yongha: Thank you for every review you gave. ( Talking to a camera in the middle)

All boys: **Thank you! See you next fic! **


	15. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hikaru no Go.

* * *

**Together with you, the Epilogue**

Late May (some time after Hokuto Cup).

"Thank you for your guidance," said Suou 5- Dan with a bow.

"Thank you for your guidance," responded Akira.

Suou quickly got up and practically sprinted out of the game room. Akira sighed at that. It was not his fault that the 5-Dan was so weak…so easy to crush. Akira, unlike his opponent, slowly rose up with grace.

He went to the entrance to get his shoes. Dropping by his father's Go salon wasn't a bad idea since he hadn't been there since the end of Hokuto Cup two days ago.

It was just another _**simple an**__**d peaceful**_ day.

While he was putting on his leather shoes, a voice—a familiar angelic voice called him. "Touya-kun, a moment please?"

He looked up. Waiting for him at the entrance was his lifetime rival and his trusted friend. It was Shindou Hikaru. She had on a white short-sleeved shirt over a tiny blue spaghetti-strap tank top. Her knee-length skirt was dark brown as were her mid-calf boots.

Pleased by the pleasant sight, Akira smiled. Yet, it seemed to him that the girl wasn't quite so pleased to see him. She wore her serious face, the kind that he often saw when she played a game but rarely saw outside the go board unless she was angry. He looked into her green eyes and frowned. Yes, she was definitely mad. What did he do anyway? He was certain that he didn't do anything; in fact, this was their first encounter after the Hokuto Cup.

Despite his confusion, he nodded. "Yes." Hikaru then let him to a secluded corner.

What was she planning to do? Why did she bring him here? A teenage boy and a teenage girl, alone in a quiet and deserted place. Or…was she going to confess her love to him? Akira, who completely forgot the fact that Hikaru was angry, let his imagination run wild.

After Hikaru had embraced him (from behind) when he had lost to Ko Yongha, he felt a new unexplainable, but surprisingly fluffy, wave of feelings rising in his chest. In the past two days he had tried to analyze and identify what it exactly was. It seemed that he couldn't restrain himself from smiling whenever he thought about Hikaru... her smile, her laughter, her various hairstyles, even her irrational excuses during their post-game discussion. Touya Akira was no fool. It hadn't taken him long to realize that he, without doubt, had feelings for the girl. Love was too strong to describe it though. He knew that he didn't love her the way his parents loved each other (at least, at this moment) and he didn't want to marry her (yet). Yet, "puppy love" was too weak. Whatever they had, it wasn't that shallow. They didn't feel attraction because of the other's appearance (although he couldn't deny that Hikaru was cute and he was quite a good-looking guy). What they had was much deeper than that.

People said that he was cold, snobbish, condescending and difficult to get along with as if there was an invisible wall around him, separating him from the rest of the world. Seriously, the picture of him having a barrier like the boy who wore a movable bubble suit to protect him from dirty air in the movie called "The Bubble Boy" was ridiculous. He had neither a wall nor barrier. It was just who he was. However, because of that, before Hikaru came into his life, he had no friends. He had many fans, colleagues and, sadly, even enemies. But he had no friends. Even with Ashiwara who claimed to be his friend, Akira himself had never considered him one. As an older man who always gave him advice with kindness, Ashiwara was like his big brother. As one of his father's students, he was his senpai. As a Go pro, he was just another opponent for him to crush in order to get higher. Ashiwara was many things to Akira, but he wasn't his friend.

And Hikaru? Despite his bad reputation in socializing with others, she ignored it. If that wall of his really existed, she passed through it successfully (although she did it in her very own frustrating ways). It became a routine that whenever they played Go, she would criticize him, he would retort, she would shout at him, he then would shout back at her. As time passed by, without having him telling or explaining his thoughts to her, she got to know him (he found it annoying sometimes though since she knew too much). He, too, was able to figure out how her unique mind worked. In short, they understood each other. Understanding led to friendship. Yes, Hikaru was his friend. They were always there for each other. When one of them fell down, the other would give a hand. When one needed support, the other would offer it. They were always at each other's side. Somehow, along the way, their friendship led into another thing. Although Akira wasn't quite sure what it was, it was stronger than friendship; it was good and he was hoping Hikaru could feel it too.

_Maybe, maybe she feels it too. Maybe she's going to tell me that!_

"Did you see this?" Shoving a magazine to his face forcefully, Hikaru demanded. "Did you see this?" she repeated, fury burning in her eyes.

Akira blinked. _Go Weekly magazine? What's wrong with it?_ He received the magazine and took a look at it. Even the guy with lowest IQ would know why she was angry. On the front page, there was their picture from the Hokuto Cup.

A picture of Hikaru embracing him from behind was on the front page. "And they said they were friends! A picture worth a thousand words!" said the headline.

"It must be Kosemura," Akira guessed. He remembered the short journalist and his cameraman being in the game room during that time.

"Not only that, look at this!" Hikaru pushed a piece of paper to his face. "And this too!"

Both pieces of paper were printed from a computer. They showed the same picture of Hikaru holding him but the headline weren't Japanese; one was written in Korean, another was in Chinese.

"Where did you get these?" he wondered.

"Suyong scanned them from Baduk Weekly and Chinese Go Journal and sent them to me. That doesn't matter. You're missing the point, Touya-kun!" She stamped her foot on the floor heavily.

"Which is?"

She shouted in answer, "The whole world thinks that we're together!"

Akira sighed. Honestly, he didn't enjoy this scandal more than Hikaru did. However, it was necessary for him to remain calm in this kind of situation. "Ever since you passed the Pro Exam, there's a rumor going around saying that we're a couple. I didn't see it bothering you. Then why this time-"

"It's different!" Hikaru shrieked. "Rumor, gossip! They're just words! But this time, they've got a picture too! Now the rumor is going to spread out even wider!"

He tried to cool her down, "They will forget in no time."

She shook her head violently. "No, they won't."

"Yes, they will," he assured.

"No, they won't."

"They will."

"They won't."

After they ended up arguing, Akira had completely forgotten that he was supposed to be the voice of reason when she was irrational, that they had to balance each other out since it was the only way to maintain equilibrium in this chaotic universe. Without thinking, he blurted out, "And who's to be blamed?"

"What?"

_Damn. _Was the first word that came into his mind after he realized that he had endangered the well-being of the universe and mankind.

"You're blaming me?!" the blonde hollered. "Are you saying that if I hadn't embraced you, they wouldn't have taken the picture in the first place?!"

Akira nodded automatically. "Yes," _Eh? What I did I just say? Not Again!_ "No! Wait! No! What I mean to say is-" he attempted to lessen the damage but a sudden sharp pain in the right earlobe stopped him. "Ouch!"

She berated into his ear while holding his earlobe. "Just for a record, if you hadn't been so depressed from losing to Ko Yongha, I wouldn't have comforted you! I wouldn't have held you. And this picture wouldn't have been on three magazines' front pages!" She let go of his earlobe and stabbed her finger at his chest. "This-is-your-fault! Azz! I'm pissed off! I'm out of here!" At that, she stormed off leaving Akira alone with a red ear.

Neither of them heard a Click sound.

* * *

Next month, at the lobby of the Go Association

"Did you see this?" Akira held a Go Weekly up for Hikaru to see; his entire body was shaking with uncontrollable rage and embarrassment. _I am going to kill Kosemura-san with my bare hands!_

"Ah, a new Go Weekly." Hikaru barely glanced at it. "What's about it?" Her tone was frustratingly nonchalant.

"What do you mean?" he raised his voice. "Can't you see what is written on the front page?"

Hikaru looked at the magazine from the corner of her eye, "Touya Akira, the whipped," she read aloud. "So?" she played with a strand of her black hair. "I am not illiterate, you know."

"SO? Is that all you can say?" he shouted. "Look at it! Look at the picture!" It was indeed Hikaru and Akira on the front page. In said picture, Hikaru was pointing at his chest while Akira, who wore an agonized expression, rubbed his ear. It looked like he was being lectured by Hikaru. "Whipped! They think that I am whipped! I, Touya Akira! The Whipped! Whipped by you!"

"Touya-kun, ever since I passed the Pro Exam, there's been a rumor going around saying that we're a couple. I didn't see it bothering you. Then why this time-"

"It's different!" he cut her off. Knowing that she intentionally recited his lecture only to make him angrier.

"Dear friend of mine, Touya-kun," she spoke with an exaggerated sweet tone of voice and a fake smile, "It's not different. Rumor comes and goes. They will forget in no time."

"No, they won't!"

"Yes, they will," she kept her kind look but he knew better; it was just an act. "Now, if you excuse me, I have some business to take care of." She went into an elevator.

"Wait!"

"Byeee, gooddayyyy" Smiling, she waved at him.

Akira watched the elevator close; his rival was gone. He, again, was left behind. _Revenge, that's what it is,_ he thought. He crushed the Go Weekly in his hand. _I'm going to kill Kosemura-san!_

Fin

* * *

**Word Count:** 2000

**AN:** Sorry for keeping your guys waiting for so long. Today is my birthday, this is a present to you, my dear readers. I hope you enjoy this short epilogue. The road to romance for Hikaru and Akira is still a longgg way to go though, 555.

**Special Thank: **Sera, my beta.


End file.
